GREENE STREET LETTERS: GRIEF

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

GRIEF

Job 1:20 - Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship.

Not your typical response now days when a person has a tragedy in their life. The first two actions by Job were customary to his day...the tearing of his robe and the shaving of his head, but the third one is an act that is timeless.

The idea of worshiping God in our greatest times of grief and sorrow. Let's be honest here. In one day, Job lost everything he had. His children were killed, all his possessions were either stolen or destroyed. He kept getting bad news from his servants as one by one they came to tell him what had happened. But Job.....he worshiped. Job looked to the only One who could comfort and give strength to carry on. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying God came down and took all of Job's grief away, or magically made it into something else. God met Job right where he was and took him through his grieving. Job fell to the ground not to wail in despair, but to worship in hope.

I Peter 5:6-7 - So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. Give ALL your worries and cares to God, for He cares for you.

Did you notice that the verses say "You shall not worry or be heavy laden with care." It said that when such comes to you...when it seeks to bend you to the ground under the weight of your worries, give them to God. Turn them over and HE will lift you up. (Now I'm fixing to talk to myself here)---"Why is this so hard for me to learn? Because in those dark moments of grief, worry, doubt and fear, God seems so far away. We are overwhelmed by these emotions. Truth is, God isn't far away, that's what the devil would want us to believe. God is right there with us. Ready to take the grief and pour out His comfort upon us. That which we need to move forward with Him in this life. Oh, that doesn't mean that if we have lost a loved one that magically we will not grieve any more, or mourn their loss. We will....we should.....it will happen. But it won't be such a devastating grief that we are left with no hope.

Here is why God comes to those who are grieving. Isaiah 53:3 - He was despised and rejected---a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. God totally understands our human condition. Think on these things today.

God on you...

mbb

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Looking At The World Through Cracked Lens

As ol' Paul wrote in his Corinthian letters.."We see in part and we know in part." Now what piece of this bit of wisdom do we not get? I wish to not run around acting and trying to be some sort of Biblical G00-Ru (I meant to spell it wrong). Or a sage of sages.

I simply want to be able to communicate some of what God has given to me. Why? Do I think what I get is better than what you may have received from Him? Nope. But I do think encouragement comes when we share our daily story of struggle and victory in an effort to encourage each other.

Thanks for letting me share.

Time to soldier on..

mbb

Our Statement of Faith

We believe that God is the eternal king. He is an infinite, unchangeable Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, goodness, justice, power and love. From all eternity He exists as the One Living and True God in three persons of one substance, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit equal in power and glory. we believe that God created mankind in His image, male and female, for relationship with Himself and to govern the earth. Under the temptation of Satan, our original parents fell from grace, bringing sin, sickness and God's judgment of death to the earth. Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God's good creation. Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of Adam's original sin. Human beings are born into sin, subject to God's judgment of death and captive to Satan's kingdom of darkness. We believe that Jesus, God's Son, was sent to this world, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary, fully God and fully man in one person. He is humanity as God intended us to be. Jesus was anointed as God's Messiah and empowered by the Holy Spirit, ushering in God's kingdom reign on earth, overpowering the reign of Satan by resisting temptation, preaching the good news of salvation, healing the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. Jesus' atoning death on the cross took God's judgment for sin which we deserved as law-breakers. Jesus' resurrection and ascent back to heaven opened the door for those who received salvation to begin a relationship with God.

Little Nets Into Deep Waters

Fishing nets were designed for one purpose only. To catch fish. Nets are no good if they stay on the boat. Nets serve no purpose if they are never used. I think maybe God sees us this way. We are all created for a purpose (by the way, the creator gets to define what our purpose is). Any other use besides the one we were created for does us no good. But when the creator places His hands upon us, casting us out into those scary, dark places with deep waters, it is then we can see the reality of our purpose. He knew there would be a catch waiting for us. I think I will be the net God has called me to be.

The Twelve Steps

As a community of people in recovery, we affirm that our higher power is Jesus Christ. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Just as God told the children of Israel He was going to give them a promised land, He has revealed to us that He desires to give us a "Promised Life." When Israel got to the promised land, God instructed them to go and in a possess it, fight for it and claim it. In recovery, the 12 Steps are the directions given to us on how to fight, possess and claim this promised life.

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

GRIEF

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD