Can't Buy Me Love !

Back in the 60's the Beatles sang "Can't Buy Me Love."
It seems to me that we place a lot of value on material things. The idea being that those who can surround themselves with things seem to have a better life than those who lack belongings.
Cars.....
Houses....
Vacations....
Clothes.....
Jewelry....
and the list goes on and on...
Now this posting isn't going to be a rant against rich folks.
It isn't going to be tirade against wealth.
It is simply a reality check about things we are surrounded by that make us rich.
Every day things that we sometimes look over because they are very simple in our minds.

What am I talking about?
How about this....
How about the feel of clean sheets on the bed. You've had a long hard day and you finally make to bed time. Pulling the covers back, you slide into bed on those clean sheets. The smell and the feel of those sheets is incredible. It is like a tonic for your tired body.

What about giggles and laughter?
For me, my spiritual bank account over flows when my family is together and something someone says or does cause the entire family to break out in laughter. It is contagious in a good kind of way. It may even be something as simple as the grand kids in the backyard, in their swimsuits, and I'm chasing them with the garden hose trying to spray them. Ashley gets so tickled that she has to call out..."Poppa...please time out!!"

What do you think filled Jesus up while he walked here on this earth?
Did you ever consider that he saw his creation from a different view while he occupied a human body.
What do you think he felt as he was sitting around a fire at night with his disciples and looked up into the sky. A sky filled with stars, looking like someone had thrown diamonds on a piece of black velvet. Do you think he took great pleasure in just being with his disciples? I do.

How do you think Jesus felt when he would come upon a funeral procession, or get the news that someone had died? He would do what his heavenly Father had sent him to do, going to where the dead person was, and with words, bring them back to life. DO you think he took pleasure in seeing the joy and the amazement of the family as their loved one came back to life?

How about when Jesus had commandeered Peter's boat in Luke Chapter 5 and used it as a kind of floating pulpit. Once finished, Jesus told Peter to go out to the deep water, let down his nets for a catch. Jesus knew what was going to happen in Peter's being obedient. I can see Jesus, in that boat, arms folded watching the fishermen prepare to let down their nets. To me it would be like a father watching his kids on Christmas morning, unwrapping their presents. I can see Jesus break out into laughter as he watched the expressions on the fishermen faces when the nets suddenly became full.

I think Jesus found joy in the sheer act of living.
He was poor, but at the same time richer than anyone who had ever lived.
He found pleasure in the simplest of things. That is how I want to live my life.
Not be driven by this world of greed and "Gotta have it now" mentality.
Instead I want my pace to be determined by the grace given to me by God.

I wanted to save this last bit for the last of this posting.
Jesus found joy in something that I can't wrap my head around. Maybe this is where the separation between divine and finite takes places.
Hebrews 12:3 reads: Who for the joy set before him, endured the cross.......
That tells me that there is a divine joy that was given to him....
A joy that can't be defined by this world.
A joy that filled Jesus to the point that he went to the cross and endured the shame and humiliation it was intended to cause.
Physical pain? I can only imagine.
Spiritual pain? To see your own Father turn his face away because he can't look upon you.
Emotional pain? "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"
Yet.....
For the joy set before him, Jesus walked it all the way. Cross....to the tomb........to resurrection.

I want to be rich.
I want the riches of my Father in heaven to be poured out over my family.
I want to find ultimate satisfaction in knowing that I can present my entire family to Jesus once our time ends here on this earth.
I want to hear his voice....
Look upon his face....
Walk with him....
Worship in his presence.....
These are the things that money can't buy.
I am not going to trade the eternal things my Father has for me, in order to taste the temporary things of this world.

God on you.....
mb