Thursday, July 17, 2008

City Building??

What to do? What to do? This past Sunday's message was really challenging to me. An intern that had been at North last year came back to preach a couple Sundays on A Fork in the Road. It was a real challenge to me. First he talked about 3 Obvious Truths that drive us:
1. We are finite creatures
2. We are dependent creatures
3. We are vulnerable.
Ouch on all three. Basically we are needy and we have a choice to make as to where we are going to turn to get our needs met.
He talked about Cain. I have heard the story of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4 tons of times over the years but I had never looked into it like we did this Sunday. We all know... Cain doesn't bring the right sacrifice, God is pleased with Abel's and not his; God asks him to obey but Cain takes matters into his own hands and kills his brother; God punishes him and tells him that the ground will no longer produce for him. End of story right? I had never seen God's punishment as an invitation but that is really what it was. God takes away his normal way of life and tells Cain to be a restless wanderer on the earth.... ultimately He is saying - trust Me for your every need, I will take care of you. Cain has a dilemma: Do I trust God? He decides - No, I am going to take care of myself and builds a city. It looks great from the outside the first great civilization but it is in a collision course with God and since it is based on violence in Genesis 6 God's has no recourse but to start over with just Noah and his family.
We were given the 21st century City Builder's Creed:
1. I can't count on God
2. I am on my own
3. So I will take care of myself
4. I don't need God.
What about me?? Do I trust God or am I coming up with some other way to take care of myself because I don't think that He is going to come through for me? Bring it down to real life.... last night I was looking online at apartments... Is that city building?? I know that I CAN count on God. I am NOT on my own, GOD will take care of me, and I DO need God. What is the next step? God asked Cain and later Abraham... "Step out in faith... I will take care of you... I will provide all that you ever need.... Trust Me." Abraham did, Cain didn't . It makes me think of a Sunday school session we had with the kids a while ago that I blogged about here. As I read that I was challenged again: What about me? Am I going to trust God? Living by faith is scary but I know that God loves us and has good plans for us and will take care of us. I can trust Him.

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