Dear Fellow Children of God,
I went camping on the Little Susitna River on Thursday
night, and during the day Friday, July 2 and 3.
It was a very relaxing get away.
I visited a favorite fishing hole, did a little fishing, cooked a few
meals, and finished a book I was reading, Martin Luther by Eric Metaxas. Most who know me will think that I primarily
fished on this trip. Actually, I sat in
my chair relaxing, reading, and sometimes talking to the groups that passed me
in canoes and kayaks. Right after the
last of these groups paddled by I went to stand up from my sitting position,
but I had an unpleasant surprise. The
fabric in my chair tore. The more I
attempted to rise, the deeper into the chair I sank. It was embarrassing. Thankfully, none of the groups that passed
saw me in this position. But, it
happened nonetheless. And the chair I had
enjoyed was broken beyond repair.
That is not the only thing I own that has broken recently. As I looked at my boat trailer recently, I
noticed that one of the supports on my trailer was disconnected – the weld had
broken. And, as I went to store last
year’s taxes in the crawl space of my home I found water down in that section
of the crawl space. Add that repair work
to two faucets that have been dripping and needed repair. I could go on and on, but I have recently been
fixing and repairing things frequently.
Do you have the same frustrations? Are you disappointed when something you plan
to use no longer works?
There are some lessons here. First, the THINGS of this life are
temporal. Jesus taught His disciples in
the Sermon on the Mount, 19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust
destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where
thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21) The moths may have had a part in the
weakening of the fabric in my chair.
But, I have been using it for 9 years.
Nothing lasts forever, at least that is what Jesus was teaching. The possessions of this life slip through our
fingers like the water from the river.
There is a
reason that our possessions wear out, that they rust and break. In a very real way all of life is “broken.” From the beginning, when people rebelled
against our Creator, following their own desires, and disobeying the Lord and
Ruler of the Universe, we all live under the curse of sin. So our relationship with God is broken. Our relationships with other people also
suffers. Even our best efforts to build
our world fail. For example, our country’s
Declaration of Independence may state the principle and belief that “all men
are created equal.” But, even trying to
put that truth into action, our efforts fall short. Our lives are broken.
Another lesson
we all need to learn is that we can think
we own our possessions, but in a way, our possessions own us. Every chair, every boat, every home, every
possession requires time and energy and money in upkeep. They have to be maintained. So, do
we own our homes, or do they own us? The
same is true for other things we own.
However, there
are some treasures in this life which give eternal blessings. Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 24, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my
words will not pass away.: (Matthew 24:35 )
Our world is broken, but some things remain forever – God’s things. The
word of God is a treasure we need to cherish, to use, to digest.
St. Paul wrote
in 1 Corinthians 13, “So now faith,
hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1
Corinthians 13:13) We cannot bring our
possessions with us when we die. But,
faith in God, hope for eternity, and love last forever. Faith, hope, and love, are treasures that
will not fade.
St. Paul also writes that amidst
the brokenness of this life, there is one thing that can’t be taken way, God’s
love for us in Jesus. “For I am sure that neither death
nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor
powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) Cloth may tear. Iron may rust. Possessions may break. But nothing can take away the love God has
given us in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Falling through the chair was an embarrassing experience,
but I also had 2 pleasant surprises.
Gary Foster of “Fosters’ Fine Finishes” built my house in 2006. I asked Gary to look at the source of the water
in my crawl space. Gary found the
problem and fixed it. I offered to pay
Gary, but he said, “No.” Gary Feaster of
Greatland Welding built my boat and trailer in 2010. Gary repaired the trailer. When I asked Gary what I owed for the work,
he said, “It’s our boat, we’ll take care of it.” In today’s world you don’t expect to have
people stand behind their work 10 years, or 14 years later. These men are fellow believers in Jesus and they
live their faith. They know about the
blessings that do not pass away, and show it in their lives.
I threw my old chair away and bought a new one. But the eternal blessings of God, His Word,
faith, hope and love, especially our Lord’s love for us in Jesus, will not
break. We can build our lives on the
love and blessings of God.
A Child of God, Frustrated by Broken Possessions,
Thankful that God’s Blessings Last,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Bim Hoylman’s funeral will be held at St. John
this Saturday, July 11, at 1:00 p.m. If
you would like to bring food for the reception please call Jackie Kolberg or
Kathy Summers.
P.P.S. Here are
some pictures of my campsite last Thursday on the Little Susitna River. https://photos.app.goo.gl/gBu12UFFJFQz6tuf8
When I
went fishing on July 3 the fish count at weir was only 843, far below the ADFG minimum
escapement goal for this year of 2100 fish. (Thankfully, the count picked up
after I left and as of Tuesday evening is at 1958!) I had a great time camping,
reading, and even fishing. I had two
bites, but caught no fish.
P. P.P.S. Last
week I shared that I went halibut fishing with my daughter, Mary, on June
26. But, my wife pointed out that I
neglected to share the pictures. Here
they are. https://photos.app.goo.gl/PeDEZHsqpPiNFAaX9
*****
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I am now
retired as senior pastor of St. John Lutheran in Palmer, AK. My weekly
devotion was previously titled, "Thoughts from the Pastor."
However, with life's changes I now call the devotion "Journeys Through
Life as a Child of God." I am only sending this message to those who
have asked to receive it. If you know someone else who desires to receive
this message, have them e-mail me at jonrock53@mtaonline.net. I will
include them on my distribution list. You can also view this message on my
Facebook page.
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE
HAVE ASKED ME WHY THEY ARE NO LONGER RECEIVING MY DEVOTIONS. Since I’m only sending these e-mails to
people who ask for them, many are no longer receiving them. BUT, if you read this on Facebook and like to
receive these devotions by e-mail, or if you know someone who would like to
receive these devotions, send me an e-mail at jonrock53@mtaonline.net, and I will add
you to my distribution list.
Child of God
Husband, Father, Son, Grandfather
Pastor Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
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