Cairo: Jesus in Egypt & God's Unusual Leaning
God seldom gives us all we need to understand, but He always gives us what we need in order to obey. The story of Jesus in Egypt as a boy offers a...
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Aug 30, 2016 10:00:25 PM
I love how some homeowners chose to deal with their drought-dried lawns. They paced their yards with green spray paint, and they had lawns to dye for. No more watering. No mowing. Just fake, green grass all summer.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
Actually, such innovation applies beyond the front yard straight into the human heart.
On the surface, most of us look vibrant, successful, content, and happy. And except for the occasional “scene”—when the truth bursts from behind our thin veneers—most of us manage to keep it together long enough to preserve the image.
In social circles where hurting is unacceptable (insert your church’s name here), we quickly learn how to paint on the smile and shake all the hands—while inside we feel as dead and needy as parched grass.
While we may have ideal hopes about tomorrow, and how in that ever-elusive “someday” things will get better, the truth is, life doesn’t fix itself.
Instead, God must fix life. Two essential choices can help.
God hardwired each of us with a void only He can fill. Here’s what that means, practically:
Only God fills the chasm. Everything else only deepens it.
1. Filling the void begins, of course, with faith in Jesus Christ.
But trusting Jesus doesn’t eliminate the void in our lives. It’s hardwired to stay.
Neither did He redeem us in order to fill the void with stuff we’ve always wanted—our dreams, our stuff, our pleasure, our needs. As Paul told some early believers:
But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. —Romans 6:17-18
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
When God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, they failed to realize that freedom from serving Pharaoh meant freedom to serve the God who freed them.
2. Filling the void occurs by living for the glory of God as our solitary goal.
God doesn’t remove the void. He fills it.
Eternal life refers to a quality of life—not just its duration. Read anew Jesus’ personal invitation to you:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. —Matthew 11:28-30
The peace that comes from that purpose will fill you to overflowing with fulfillment.
Is there a void? These 2 choices will help fill it up.
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