Wednesday, April 4, 2012

THE LORD AND THE ROUND-ABOUT


Time with Jesus - Thursday, 05 April 2012
Hi all,
Reading today’s Scriptures gave me the sense of being on a roundabout. As a youngster, riding on one of those horses that go up and down while we went round and round was very popular. It was fun. It was only later in life that I spotted the similarity between life and a ride on a roundabout. It seems to go up and down and round and round and achieve just about nothing.
Back in the 1960’s there was a play called, “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off”. I didn’t go and see it. But I can understand the sentiments. Shakespeare expressed it as follows: - “Life’s but a walking shadow; a poor player that struts and fumes his hour upon the stage; and then is heard no more. A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing” (dug out from school day memories). The problem is Shakespeare was right. We must get off the roundabout! “Stop the world, I want to get off”! But we are all on the roundabout. We get on when we are born. We get off when we die. In between? Good question.
Is there nothing we can do about this? Yes and no. We have to be born. Then we have to die. Die to sin. We call this conversion, or being saved. Jesus Christ made this possible. By His Spirit we are then born again. Physically it may look as though we are still on the roundabout of life. But in and through Him, the journey of life takes on a new meaning. No longer is it pointless and meaningless. It may look the same to unbelievers. But by His Spirit, the horses become eagles and we can soar aloft into a personal relationship with our Creator. This expands the roundabout to approach infinity and His arms are around us to hold us and love us. Of course Satan tries his best to “cut the power” so that everything grinds to a halt. But as we confess our sin, repent and obtain forgiveness from Him, our new dimension hardly has time to feel the bump! All this made possible by our Saviour!
Today’s meditation looks at the roundabout, our Saviour and God’s infinite qualities!
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland

The Lord and the Round-About

Round and round in circles the sinful men will go!
But as for destination; the Lord alone can know.
They think they’re on a round-about as each of them rotate.
But if they are repentant, He’ll surely change their fate.
They have to do what’s needed and serve the Lord with zeal.
Then Jesus, in His wondrous love, will make salvation real!
He tells them all quite clearly, that if they persevere,
He’ll stop the dizzy feeling and quench their every fear.
For He is the beginning; He also is the end.
The Alpha and Omega, on whom we can depend.
He is, He was and will be. He’s the Almighty One.
He’s there when time was started and will be when it’s gone.
God causes things to happen and sees them carried out.
The author of creation knows what this world’s about!
He knows what in the papers, ten thousand years ahead!
He watches us from when we’re born; and even when we’re dead,
His presence will be with us. From Him, there’s no escape.
He’s known us from the starter’s gun up to the winning tape.
He planned His crucifixion before the worlds were made.
There wasn’t any other way, His Word could be obeyed!
If there had been a better way, He would have always known.
And He who made the Universe has heard creation’s groan.
There isn’t an alternative for us to know His peace.
He multiplies our blessings and causes wars to cease.
He curses disobedience, when people turn away.
But He is merciful to those who turn to Him and pray.
His love endures forever. His plans for us are good.
And we will see them all fulfilled, if we do what we should.
He doesn’t think like we do. He’s always known it all!
The sins we have committed; the big ones and the small.
And none of them are graded. To Him sin’s all the same.
From murder in the first degree, to ogling some dame!
From stealing from your mother’s purse, to rape and homicide.
And He tells us the very worst is being filled with pride!
And yet He takes great pleasure each time someone repents.
Compassion deep inside Him permits Him to relent!
His love endures forever. And He would rather be,
The Saviour of His people than them lost eternally.
Jim Strickland – Written 5th April 2012

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