One Supreme Authority

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“Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord— that you alone are the Most High over all the earth" – Psalm 83:18

He slept in that morning.  The night before had 

been filled with dining and dancing, and his head still throbbed from the spirits he had consumed in celebration of his promotion.  For years he had his eye on that corner office with the President title on the door.  He had worked in this company since he was 18 years old and here he was 35 years later reaching the pinnacle of his career.  Work had been his passion.  He left his wife and daughter in that small white house on Chestnut street when that little girl was only 7.  He was scared, confused about his priorities and made a bad decision that had haunted him for years and now all he had as proof of his former life was an 8x10 photo of her on her wedding day.  He sat on the edge of his bed and wept over her picture as the emotions overwhelmed him. 

There was a point in his life when things seemed in control.  He married right after high school, had a solid job for such a young man and was a proud father within 2 years.  Choices and bad decisions left him alone and his entire world turned upside down.  He lost his faith, his love for others and poured everything he had into his career.  Well, here he was.  He finally made it to the top, and as he looked around his Manhattan condominium he realize he was all alone at the top.  The friends who drank the night away with him only 8 hours ago were long gone.  He walked to the closet and with very depressed, evil intentions knelt down and reached for the handle of the gun case.  Then he caught a glimpse in the dim light, and he reached for the Book instead.  As he brought it out of the closet, he fell back on the floor, his back lying against the bed. 

The cover was torn and tattered.  His Dad carried it daily to and from work, to the war and back and was seen in his large easy chair reading it every morning as long back as the man could remember.  Right up until his death, this book saw him through the ups and downs of life, the struggles of raising the kids, the bankruptcy and the many struggles they had face in life.  Now here it was in the hands of his son, and it sat collecting dust in the corner of the closet for the last 25 years.  As he opened the book, it fell to the 83^rd Book of Psalms.  The anger expressed by David towards mankind, especially his enemies, leaps from the pages.  And then he gets to the last verse and it all comes rushing forward.  His life had been spent combatting with God for control, for authority and for praise.  He had taken all of the accomplishments in life and selfishly proclaimed them as his own doing.  Despite his continued success in his career, he refused to give glory to the Lord, to the ultimate authority and creator of all things.

This explained the emptiness, the hollowness and loneliness in his life.  This explained his self-centered choices in life and his hatred for mankind in general.  Lowering his face into his hands, he cried out to the Lord in shame, begging forgiveness and asking for the opportunity to serve Him.  The rush of emotions overwhelmed the man as he fell face first to the floor and poured out his life of sinful actions to the only Lord, the ultimate Authority, the One who sits upon the throne in heaven.  In a moment his life had become one with purpose, one with blessing and one with the opportunity to change the world for the good.

Where are you with God?  Is He your authority?  Is He given credit for your success?  Is God at the center of your decisions?  Have you come to the point of serving Him in the manner in which He deserves or like our example above, are you captured in the fallacy that you alone are responsible for your talents, skills, success and accomplishments?  There is only one supreme Authority and Lord on Most High and His name is Jehovah, and is to be praised.  Give serious thought to your relationship with God and make amends as necessary today.
             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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What is Going On?

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ – Luke 12:20

The days will draw to an end, to this there is no doubt.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, for it is not within our power to determine when the sun will no longer rise or the mountains will tremble.  Can any one of us cause the sun to fall from the sky?  Does this power exist amongst mortal men?  Example after example could be given demonstrating the immediacy of death upon us in a manner by which it is, without a doubt, outside of our control.  The people of the world have been shaken of late with natural disasters, rioting in the streets and terrorism at it’s finest.  A boy walking to class is struck by a stray bullet in the streets of New York.  A woman just finishing her grocery shopping steps out of the store and is crushed by the debris from buildings collapsing around her.  An elderly couple are struck in the side of their car as they drive through an intersection, one is taken, the other is not.  A young man with a bandana around his head and fist raised high is trampled as hundreds of thousands storm the gates of the capital building.  Let’s face it, as we step into the world each and every day, we only have so much control over the events in our life.  Certainly we can live cautiously and watch every step we take to ensure that we return home safely at the end of the day, but in this day and age a simple walk to the curb could lead to a tragic ending.

Sadly, some chose the method of their death by self infliction.  This desperate move represents a person’s loss of hope in those around them, and in God.  When a person’s judgment is clouded by the obstacles in life rather than the opportunities, life can look hopeless.  It is easy to look at the strife, anguish and helplessness of people in the world today and begin to lose hope that there is a way out.  I, myself, have looked at the utter chaos within the world and asked, “Can it ever be completed?”  Can the peace, love and hope of the Lord ever reach the masses in a way that draws them nearer to His bosom. 

Many are driven by the moment.  This is no different today than in the biblical days of old.  As new and fresh as people believe it is today, the same lack of respect of our Lord has existed since time began.  The only difference is the scale by which it is measured.  Instantaneous pleasure, selfishness and shameless addictions are a part of the lives of the majority today.  We are all addicted to one thing or another and in most cases, it’s sad to say, it is not God’s will in our life.  As much planning and preparation we do to ensure that our future retirement and lifestyle is secure, is all for naught when the winds blow or the earth shakes tomorrow.  How valuable is our possession when it is buried under 30 feet of rubble after an earthquake, or 20 feet of water after a hurricane.

We are taught to store up our treasure in heaven, where it is secure and ever-lasting (Matthew 6:20).  Not to be taken literally, but to be understood that the things we treasure, the things of this world are meaningless in the Kingdom of heaven.  This very day your life could be taken from you.  This is not a threat, but a fact that we all must deal with.  The choices we make each and every day as to how to spend our time, our money and use our talents will go to benefit one of two masters.  Either we are investing in our future eternity or we are investing in our temporary comfort and pleasure.  Don’t complicate it more than that, because it’s not. 

Prayer:
Father,
We come before You this day filled with hope.  Hope in Your truth and justice to oversee our life and give us purpose each day.  We pray for the safety of Your children in the war torn regions of the world and those places of unrest.  Be with them and guide them to Your side that they might draw wisdom and strength from You, their Creator.   We pray for Your children in those areas of the world struck by natural disasters.  Bring them peace, hope and courage to rebuild and renew their strength in You.  Bless us this day with confidence to face the challenges in our path.  In Your name we pray – Amen

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©Sondove Enterprises, 2011