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
