Rest in the Lord

I know a person that struggles, as of late, regarding the vastness of the universe in relation to planet earth.  Seven Billion, Eight Hundred and Forty-Six Million people live on this speck of dust, figuratively speaking.  In contrast to the myriad of planets, stars, and countless galaxies around us, the earth pales in comparison.  It gives a feeling of insignificance or irrelevance if we allow our mind to dwell upon such things.

With all the knowledge humanity has gleaned from studying the cosmos surrounding us, amid the discoveries made, it still boggles the mind when considering the vastness of space.  As further breakthroughs are made, these new findings amaze some explorers to the point of becoming even more enamored in their work and in themselves with regards to self-achieved greatness, usually in their own mind.  Thus, naming stars and planets after themselves.  Perhaps this is the norm.

Let’s face it, if anyone has the right to feel delighted about creation, it’s the Creator Himself.  God said, “It is good!”

How is it that our brain still flip-flops when thinking about time and space, and yes, the wonders of God’s creation?  With all the magnificent findings that star-gazers have made through the years, the brain can only compute to a certain level, but then hits a brick wall of understanding.   

It is beyond our natural ability to grasp the how and why of the exquisite beauty around us, yet in all of God’s creation He knows each one of us by name and loves us dearly.

Perhaps you too have tried to figure out the origin of God with the following questions, “Where did God come from?  How was He created and what brought Him into existence?”

When gazing into the firmament at night, I ask myself, “When did it all begin?”  My mind does funny things as I try to seize, for a moment, the majesty of it all.  It is far beyond my understanding the handy work of a supreme being.

The Bible says that in the beginning was God.  So, was the beginning a trillion years ago?  No, because there is always another number that follows one trillion.  It is called infinity—no beginning or ending.  But there must be a beginning!  No!  God has always been, but……...  He has always been.  The true and living God is the Creator of all things.

See what I mean about the mind’s inability to understand God and creation?  At times I catch myself saying, “When was the beginning?”  The natural, finite mind cannot begin to fathom the depth, height, and breadth of an infinite God.  We cannot realize, with all our intellect or college degrees, the supernatural realm of God.  Our mind goes bonkers for lack of understanding.

Trying to comprehend God and the workings of God is like straining our eyes to see through glass that is obscured, thus making it impossible to see what is on the other side.  Such is the reaction when attempting to gain knowledge of spiritual things with natural thinking.  We must approach God in spirit and in truth to receive anything from Him.   

God is so awesome and beyond our mental capacity that we must walk by faith to someway believe that “He is” and is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.  To be immersed in the splendor of His glory requires a person to submit themselves to His will and receive Him by faith.

Faith?  What is faith?  How can I walk in faith?  Faith comes through reading God’s Word, the Bible.  The Word opens understanding of the mind that lines us up with the mind of Christ. 

(Hebrews 11:1) “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

What amazes me most is the reality that an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God loved me and wanted to commune with me before I recognized the need for Him in my life.  He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die on a cross for our sins, to give us real purpose in life, and to receive an abundant existence on this planet.

By accepting Jesus as Lord, and asking God to forgive us of our sins, this act of faith gives hope that we will enjoy heaven for eternity.  This is the promise of God to all Christians, everywhere.

Yes, God is all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient), and present everywhere (omnipresent), but one thing is certain, He loves you and me.  He will never leave or forsake us.  He becomes our Heavenly Father when we surrender our lives to Him.

With all the mystery surrounding God and creation, He made it easy for you and me to understand the plan of salvation and allow Him to remove our sins from within us.  We need only to believe that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of the living God.

Our connectivity with the Lord begins with the “new birth” as God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit enter our heart.  It is the beginning of a new life through this born-again experience.

If we have questions and wonder about God’s origin, creation, life after death, heaven and hell, these unknowns can become less important when we invite Jesus into our heart, because of the peace He gives.  We are saved from our sins and become children of God. 

The natural-thinking person, now a Christian because of the new birth, becomes spiritually in tune with the spiritual realm through prayer and reading God’s Word.  Our relationship with God becomes a new way of living.  Old desires pass away, and all things become new, because of His forgiveness.

We learn how to rest in the Lord when questions arise that we don’t have answers to.  We can refuse, with the Holy Spirit’s help, to not succumb to trivial things that bug our mind.  We no longer find ourselves on a treadmill or stationary bicycle going nowhere.  Like a hamster running endlessly on a hamster-wheel in a cage of our own making, no longer do we feel the need to spin our wheels trying to grasp the overwhelming mysteries of God Almighty.  We can rest in the Lord.

Written by,

Papa Boyd

Enhanced Senses

 

We’ve all heard of having good sense or no sense at all.  With your indulgence, I would like to explore “God-sense” as my mind presents the thoughts that came to me this morning at 5:30 AM.

When I lived a precarious lifestyle, before giving my comings and goings to God Almighty, I saw myself as a self-sufficient man with a new car and money in the coffer.

I perceived that when others viewed my success and earthly gain, I had everything going for me.   I was pleased with my achievements and liked by my peers, though something was missing in my life.

Self-sufficiency ruled my career, while selfishness caressed my senses in order that the longing deep with me could be satisfied.  It was like my functions were continually being depleted from normal sensations, thus requiring more and more stimulation to achieve some kind of fulfillment.

Though my five senses were seemingly dulling with time, I could not grasp what my true existence was longing for.  Finally, after some inward evaluation, I realized it was peace of mind that was eluding my awareness.  Nothing I possessed or tried could satisfy this missing piece of the puzzle.

Though I had a pocket full of money to try and satisfy my mood swings, this short-lived elusion of happiness was only a smoke screen of my feeble attempt at finding real peace.  Material things became a crutch to get me from one day to the next… counterfeits that appeared as peace.  I was entertaining mirages of worthless nothingness.

A true evaluation reveals itself when pillowing one’s head at night as senses slow down their firing and reality of the day sets in.  This experience is an eye opener to a person that is seeking something tangible to stand upon rather than quicksand they are sinking in.  If they would only adhere to the insight that is revealed and yield freewill, a change takes place in moments.

Too often we can be blinded by the glamour and glitter of desires that prevent us from realizing the answer to our dilemma… the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.  He is the only answer to the sinking feeling of indifference and emptiness of the soul.

So many times, the sense of hearing is muffled by loud noises of clamor and confusion around us that become the focal point of self-centered behavior, which leads to deeper involvement of self-gratification that can turn into self-condemnation.

Regrets often clutter the thought process of a person suffering from despair and worry.  This overwhelming sense of disconnection can become overwhelming at times.  God desires that every man, woman, and child be filled with His peace and live an abundant life without gloom and angst.  He wants us to cast all our cares upon Him, because He loves us with a never-ending love.

One night I felt that I was at a crossroads regarding my lack of inner harmony.  Jesus was to the right and damnation straight ahead, the direction I was headed.

After evaluating the life that I was living, with all its ups and downs, mostly downs, I was finally willing to allow the good Lord to harness my wayward emotions and take control of my strong-willed lifestyle.   

I called out for help—not to my neighbor, girlfriend, or a local priest, but to Jesus.  My emotional ruin was looking for a harbor of peace from the raging storm that buffeted me every day.  The Lord was patiently awaiting my decision to surrender everything to Him. 

God speaks in a calm, gentle voice when He beckons us to come to Him.  The clamor and blindness that engulfed my life made it difficult to hear Him, but He never stopped calling my name.

As I lay prostrate on my bed, I could feel tears coursing down my cheeks as I prayed.  All my senses became intensified like they suddenly became bionic.  I was aware of something, or someone present in the room—God!  All my senses beheld His glory. 

It was like cotton being removed from my ears and my eyes focused like never before.  I could clearly see the majesty of God.  It seemed I could literally taste and smell the wonderful fragrance of God’s.  I cannot explain the feeling I was having, but I knew a new beginning was taking place within me.

The burdensome pressures and cares of life were being lifted off my shoulders.  The more I prayed for salvation, the more fervent my prayer became.  Immediately, sin was removed from my soul, and I felt the indwelling of the Holy Spirit—I COULD BREATHE!  I FELT FREE!  I had chill bumps all over my body!  I now had the peace I was looking for—Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Salvation is when God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit enter your heart after forgiving you of the sins that you confessed to God.  It was a “born-again” experience that took place.  My old nature became subject to new desires as my sins were tossed into God’s Sea-of-Forgetfulness. 

The new nature of Christ replaced the old, sinful nature that had bound me for so long.  I became a child of God that night.  I was saved by grace, which is the free and unmerited favor of God. The peace of mind that I lacked was now present inside me.  

(2 Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

I had things upside down.  Self-gratification was at the top of my list of desires, whereas God was far below at the bottom.  When I said yes to His call, He took His rightful place at the head of the list, and to this day has supplied my every need according to His riches in glory.  He gave me peace that passes all understanding.

(Matthew 6:33) “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

My senses are alive and enhanced in Jesus.  I thank Him for dying on a cross to pay the price for my sins.  Because of His amazing love for you and me, we can have an abundant life on earth, and possess a hope of eternal life in heaven with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ when we pass from this life.

My world is a better place since God opened my eyes to truth.  My way is made clear because He has given me life.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 

I thank God for imparting unto me “God-sense” that helps me to cope in an environment of sin where individuals are falling farther and farther from the Lord each day.  He gives me the power to stand for righteousness in a land of temptation and greed.

Written by, 

Papa Boyd