The living parable of the ladybug

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Yesterday, we went to Sams Club. On our way back, somehow a ladybug had managed to get into the cab of our truck. Not being a super violent man, I didn't wish to just kill it outright. But, I had a problem. The little thing, after it got over its initial fright, decided it did not need to wait where it was. It needed to start moving and try and find out where it needed to go. 

This caused a problem because we never got stopped by a red light on the way home. The whole 25-minute trip home was actual movement. So, the little ladybug was moving the whole time! It would not sit still and trust that I would let it out safely when we got home. Rather, it was constantly moving. So, when it got to one side of my hand, I would have to place my other hand there in front of it. It would see that and change hands. Occasionally, it would try and force it's way between my fingers, which of course it could not do. But, for the most part, it kept traveling up and around my hands the whole trip. I was going somewhere, but the little bug truly was just walking around in circles in mostly a straight line up and down my hands.  When we reached home, I handed the little bug off to my 6-year-old granddaughter, Ella, who ended up depositing the now happy little thing onto a nearby bush. 

But, the thought hit me. How like that little lady-bug are we humans, especially me. 

God has promised to take care of us if we will just trust him. I know I am safe in his hands. But, rather than just rest there in the middle of his hand, I start moving. I want to see where I'm going so I can know what's going on and maybe make plans. I start moving this way and that in a vain effort to see what God is doing. 

It's not a lack of trust.

I truly know I'm safe in his hands. It's just that I want to KNOW what he's doing and where he's taking me.   

Nevermind that I know he's got this. Never mind that I know he's working all things out for my good and his glory. Nevermind that I know he has an amazing future planned out for me and my family. 

I just want to see and try and do my part in the preparation.

But, sometimes, I can wear myself out trying to see and figure things out. I can tire my family with my efforts and lack of rest (and sometimes sleep) in trying to be prepared. 

His word says that If I wait on him, I will renew my strength. Why? Because you can't charge your batteries if you don't sit on the charging hand of God and wait. And if I do wait, he says I will fly, run without weariness and walk without fainting. What a promise! 

So Lord, Please help me to simply rest in the palm of your hand on my journey and wait on the beautiful plan you've made for us to unfold in your good time. 

For truly, you do all things well.   

America better take heed!

Isaiah 5:18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!

20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:

23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

We are living in a very sad day. 

It used to be that righteousness and peace were the law of the land. People used to care about each other. People used to know right from wrong. Wrongdoers used to be prosecuted in order to keep the righteous safe. Poor folks used to be helped by their neighbors and their churches rather than being told to go and sign up for a government-controlled handout. Men were willing to work to care for their families and women were willing to be good mothers and wives. Businesses looked to hire and train men of good character rather than looking for someone who just connects the dots they want to be connected. 

Rioting was nearly unheard of. Treating people as equals was expected. People working for their living was the norm as was helping your neighbor. 

Not anymore. 

Now, the culture has been inundated with a me-first attitude. We are told that we should allow what God says is an abomination as normal. People who are struggling are turned away by "God's people" and told to go and sign up for Government help. Men who want to work are turned away because they don't exactly line up with the job qualifications. Employers can't be bothered to train good workers anymore. 

People don't want to protest and sign petitions to right wrongs anymore. Rather, they want to riot and destroy other people's lives. Please tell me how in the world that solves any of the underlying issues? 

Congress passes laws they say are meant to "help" the people. Yet, a careful examination of the laws shows that what they actually passed was something designed to subvert our Constitution and destroy our liberties. And the media pats these evil people on the back for doing it. 

And the masses truly don't care because all they want to do is "eat, drink, and be merry." As long as the party goes on, they don't care about the wrongs of our society. In fact, they endorse them because they believe it makes things better for them!

Noone cares about aborted babies. No one cries for the homeless. No one weeps for the needy that don't know where their next meal will come from. Who cares that millions of illegals are taking jobs that legal citizens should hold? Who cares about the tears of families whose livelihood has been destroyed by riots about a death that was wrong, but was twisted into something meant to cause riots? 

Pastors teach and preach love from their pulpits, but ignore God's judgment of sin so people keep partying on their way to hell- thinking they're alright with God. 

Churches would rather move their congregation than reach out to the hurting masses that surround them. 

God is looking for intercessors! 

God is looking for people who will hit their faces and cry out to the only one who can fix our problems- Jesus Christ!

I pledge to pray! 

Every day, several times a day, I will seek my Lord and cry out for the iniquities of our land. 

He said if we will humble ourselves and pray, repent of our wicked ways, he will heal our lands. 

Come on, people. Pray!!!! If you've never prayed before, now is the time. If you've grown lax in your prayers, today is the day to start over. All people everywhere need to pray as if our country, our communities, and our very lives depend on it. 

Because it does.

America is in the hands of an angry God. The only hope we have is to repent and turn back to him. If we do not, America will go down in flames. 

And don't say it won't happen. 

If he'd take down his people, ancient Israel, he'll take us out too. They went down because of their sins. We will, too.

Every "great civilization" that rose up in the past has fallen. Rome did. Greece did. Great Britain once controlled 1/3 of the world. Now they're reduced to a small bit near Europe. Don't tell me God won't do it to us.

But America has done so much good for the world!

Yet, she's done much evil, too. God doesn't wink at our evil because we do good things.

He's serious. He's angry. And his judgment is even now beginning to fall. 

We had better fall on our faces and pray. 

Today. Right now.

Or we may not be able to in the very near future. 

Just trudging along.

Ecclesiastes 9:11

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

I had a rather long day today. I began my work at 5:15 AM and finished around 7:10 PM. During that time, I delivered my company's product to 18 stores. Parts of the day seemed to go swiftly. Other parts dragged on for eternity. 

But, the bottom line was that my job needed to be done and I was the only one available today to do it. So, when it felt as if the day was never going to end, I simply kept on going. I worked one store at a time until they were all done. 

Why does this matter? 

Think of it as an allegory to our walk with God and our time on earth. 

We are all here for a purpose. A purpose designed by our creator to accomplish. A purpose that only we can accomplish (with God's help, of course). 

So, how do we do it? How do we finish our race and accomplish what he desires for us? 

One step at a time. One task at a time. One day at a time. 

Think of Noah. Noah was 500 years young when the Lord spoke to him (and him alone) and ordered him to build a ship so large that it's dimensions couldn't be matched until the 20th century. 

We are never told that God spoke to him again until he was about to destroy the earth. 

This occurred when he was 600 years old. 

Noah endured 100 years of waiting. 100 years of backbreaking work. 100 years of pain, confusion, doubt, and mockery. 

Yet, he still continued on. One log at a time. One bucket of pitch at a time. One broken saw at a time. 

How frustrated did he get? We're not told. Whatever his attitude in the ensuing 100 years, he got the job done. 

Peter calls him a "preacher of righteousness." (2 Peter 2:5) Yet, we are never told of a single word he preached. 

Did he ever verbally preach? Probably. But, his greatest sermon was his life. He stayed the course. He finished his God-given project. One step at a time. 

A lesson we should all learn. Whether or not anyone outside our families ever know our name, we are to keep on keeping on. 

When times are good? Keep serving Jesus. In bad times? Keep serving Jesus. 

The greatest sermon we will ever utter, is the witness of our lives being lived for Jesus. Through the good and the bad. 

Just keep trudging along, and one day, a brave new world will open up to us. One day, the storm will be over and we will exit the boat to celebrate the future. 

Till then, lets just keep trudging along. One prayer at a time. One task at a time. Before we know it, we will be caught up with him in the sky- forever changed. 

As the old cartoon song once said, "Put one foot in front of the other..." The results will amaze us!