In this life, there are so many choices, so many "gods". In Greek Mythology, there were 13 Olympians and 48 minor gods and goddesses, including 9 Muses and the 3 Fates. I took a course in ancient world cultures, as a sophomore in college, and I remember being completely fascinated and overwhelmed by all of the deities associated with the Greek and Roman Empires. Each was responsible for a certain element of happiness or human fulfillment. There was the "god" of love, the "god" of wealth, a "god" of power, a god of "crops" and even a "god" of fertility. Each promised to provide a certain aspect of happiness, yet it always came with a price. Their beauty and lure was undoubting, yet not one of them could ever compare to the majesty of our true and living God! His love supersedes that of any other identity. He expounds beyond the comprehension of man, because he was never made by man.
The Bible does an impeccable job of describing our most beautiful and glorious God:
For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and forever...
~Ps 100:5
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
~2 Corinthians 3:18
And in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
~Revelations 1: 13-16
How resplendent is our God?! His entire being is beautiful, because He is truth! His word is ablaze with fire from heaven and His love is all consuming- offering life and promise and hope to all who would only accept Him. His very being is grander than the cosmos and His Spirit is an unrestrained expression of His heart. Yet, inspite of this, we tend to be more drawn to the one-dimensional "gods" of our own creations.
Yes, believe it or not, polytheism is very much alive and well in our modern day, Westernized culture and we give our true worship away to the wrong entities. It may seem far fetched, but if you take the time to trace your own desires, there you will find your "god" at the root of it all. They are very much apart of our culture, although we've given them different names. They gloat among us, disguised as ambition, and in some cases...it's hard for us to tell the difference.
We worship self, as if we are immortal.
We worship money, foolishly putting our trust in what will inevitably run out. We worship the opposite gender, mistaking the trammels of sex as perennial love. We worship our homes, our cars and our clothes, and our beauty- forgetting that everything will one day rust and tear. We worship celebrities and their fading glamour, only to be let down by their humanity and inevitable failures, and we worship our intellect and degrees, to no avail, because they can never truly help us over come all the trials and lessons of life.
As we turn from one "god" to another, the overwhelming relentless love of the One and Only true and living God inundates us, calling us back to remember who He is and who He will always be! He has a calling and a purpose for each of us, yet we fail to hear His voice among all the tiny voices that we allow ourselves to be distracted by. Instead of seeking Him, we seek ourselves. Instead of glorying in Him, we often tend to trade His eternal state of grace, fulfillment and joy, for that of temporary, handmade happiness. I've recognized this in my own life at various points. To say the least, it is an embarrassment that none of us will ever fully overcome, until that day when Christ returns. Yet, in our weakness, He is made strong (2 Corinthians 12:9) and His mighty love continues to pursue us!
When we finally understand the magnitude of God's love for us, the other "gods" will loose their control, because we will begin to recognize that our fulfillment is found only in The Lord. Chasing after these "gods" is only our limited attempt to fulfill our own happiness. We think that success, relationships, self-preservation and other attempts will hold the power to erase our longing; but a spiritual void can never be fulfilled by carnal measures. If we are to experience the fulfilled life, we must seek after the fulfiller of all life! His ways are not our ways and so His plans for us go beyond our mere lusts for happiness; God wants to fulfill our lives with joy- a spiritual state of being, that no one and no happenstance could ever take away or replace.
Happiness is an emotion. It evolves and devolves based on our current circumstances. When things go well, we are glad; but when things go wrong (beyond our control, plans or expectations) we loose hope and heart. Yet God's gift of everlasting joy, through Jesus, is not a gift that fades; it fulfills. It extends beyond our existence and further than our circumstances, and He is the only God that can ever provide this for us.
As we embark on a new week, it is my prayer to live more purposefully in the promise of eternal joy, which comes from our God who will never fade, fall or forget. He has made me an everlasting promise to love me, to set my feet on a successful path and to hold me up above my enemies and give me eternal life of which my spirit will never die... yet, all it takes is a seemingly disappointing moment in my day to take my eyes off of His face. When will we ever learn? What will it take for us to allow the truth of our salvation to be permanently implanted within our hearts? How long will we remain in a repetitive circle of chasing after our own created "gods" in order to generate a counterfeit happiness and fulfillment? The time has come for us to take revenue of our lives and make a choice concerning who we will follow and what we will pursue. Happiness has its place, then its gone.
I want God's joy, that can never be duplicated or lost. I want the fulfillment of His promises that were set in place before the first star ever flickered. I want a relationship with my Heavenly Father- who never goes back on His word and who never leaves me disappointed. I'm confident to believe that you want the same things as well. Nothing can hold us back... except for our man-made "gods". It's time to put them to rest! It's time to put our trust in Jesus!
Dear God,
I've made several attempts to fulfill myself with my own man-made "gods". I've tried to acquire happiness in my own way, despite it's temporary flair. But I realize that unconditional joy and true fulfillment only comes from you! I need you to fill me up with your fire, a renewed passion for your spirit and for your word! I need your love, your glory and the beauty of your Son to take a permanent residence within my soul. I trust in you alone. There are no other gods... not any more. There is only you, and in your presence, I am made whole. Love of God, overflow and permeate on my soul. Amen.
No more "gods", girls.
~Pearls
~Ps 100:5
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
~2 Corinthians 3:18
And in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
~Revelations 1: 13-16
How resplendent is our God?! His entire being is beautiful, because He is truth! His word is ablaze with fire from heaven and His love is all consuming- offering life and promise and hope to all who would only accept Him. His very being is grander than the cosmos and His Spirit is an unrestrained expression of His heart. Yet, inspite of this, we tend to be more drawn to the one-dimensional "gods" of our own creations.
We worship self, as if we are immortal.
We worship money, foolishly putting our trust in what will inevitably run out. We worship the opposite gender, mistaking the trammels of sex as perennial love. We worship our homes, our cars and our clothes, and our beauty- forgetting that everything will one day rust and tear. We worship celebrities and their fading glamour, only to be let down by their humanity and inevitable failures, and we worship our intellect and degrees, to no avail, because they can never truly help us over come all the trials and lessons of life.
As we turn from one "god" to another, the overwhelming relentless love of the One and Only true and living God inundates us, calling us back to remember who He is and who He will always be! He has a calling and a purpose for each of us, yet we fail to hear His voice among all the tiny voices that we allow ourselves to be distracted by. Instead of seeking Him, we seek ourselves. Instead of glorying in Him, we often tend to trade His eternal state of grace, fulfillment and joy, for that of temporary, handmade happiness. I've recognized this in my own life at various points. To say the least, it is an embarrassment that none of us will ever fully overcome, until that day when Christ returns. Yet, in our weakness, He is made strong (2 Corinthians 12:9) and His mighty love continues to pursue us!
When we finally understand the magnitude of God's love for us, the other "gods" will loose their control, because we will begin to recognize that our fulfillment is found only in The Lord. Chasing after these "gods" is only our limited attempt to fulfill our own happiness. We think that success, relationships, self-preservation and other attempts will hold the power to erase our longing; but a spiritual void can never be fulfilled by carnal measures. If we are to experience the fulfilled life, we must seek after the fulfiller of all life! His ways are not our ways and so His plans for us go beyond our mere lusts for happiness; God wants to fulfill our lives with joy- a spiritual state of being, that no one and no happenstance could ever take away or replace.
Happiness is an emotion. It evolves and devolves based on our current circumstances. When things go well, we are glad; but when things go wrong (beyond our control, plans or expectations) we loose hope and heart. Yet God's gift of everlasting joy, through Jesus, is not a gift that fades; it fulfills. It extends beyond our existence and further than our circumstances, and He is the only God that can ever provide this for us.
As we embark on a new week, it is my prayer to live more purposefully in the promise of eternal joy, which comes from our God who will never fade, fall or forget. He has made me an everlasting promise to love me, to set my feet on a successful path and to hold me up above my enemies and give me eternal life of which my spirit will never die... yet, all it takes is a seemingly disappointing moment in my day to take my eyes off of His face. When will we ever learn? What will it take for us to allow the truth of our salvation to be permanently implanted within our hearts? How long will we remain in a repetitive circle of chasing after our own created "gods" in order to generate a counterfeit happiness and fulfillment? The time has come for us to take revenue of our lives and make a choice concerning who we will follow and what we will pursue. Happiness has its place, then its gone.
I want God's joy, that can never be duplicated or lost. I want the fulfillment of His promises that were set in place before the first star ever flickered. I want a relationship with my Heavenly Father- who never goes back on His word and who never leaves me disappointed. I'm confident to believe that you want the same things as well. Nothing can hold us back... except for our man-made "gods". It's time to put them to rest! It's time to put our trust in Jesus!
Dear God,
I've made several attempts to fulfill myself with my own man-made "gods". I've tried to acquire happiness in my own way, despite it's temporary flair. But I realize that unconditional joy and true fulfillment only comes from you! I need you to fill me up with your fire, a renewed passion for your spirit and for your word! I need your love, your glory and the beauty of your Son to take a permanent residence within my soul. I trust in you alone. There are no other gods... not any more. There is only you, and in your presence, I am made whole. Love of God, overflow and permeate on my soul. Amen.
No more "gods", girls.
~Pearls
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