We talk a lot these days. Computer, text, voice mail, instagram, twitter and on it goes. But do we ever really say anything of value, of importance, beyond what the next movie is, the next sporting event, the next vacation, the next hunting trip? What do we really say that is of value? Do we speak ever of eternity, or think of where we are headed? Our lives are as a vapor and passing through our fingers ever so quickly.
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James 4:14
“As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.” Psalms 103:15-16.
Washington D. C. and the media are constantly barraging us with information, and most of it is of no value. I suppose that is why they call the media “talking heads.” Talk, talk, talk, but never say anything of importance or value or of truth in most cases. We need to stop whatever it is that we are doing and meditate on our ways and think of where we are headed, not only as a nation, but individually, which is the more important of the two. “For as the home goes, so goeth the nation.”
Our nation is a direct reflection of the home.
In the end we each shall give an account of what we have done in this life, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12-13
“Buy the Truth and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” Proverbs 23:23
“People don’t talk about anything…..No, not anything. They name a lot of cars or clothes or swimming pools mostly and say how great! But they all say the same things and nobody says anything different from anyone else.”
I am stunned at the amount of facts that we know, and yet have no Biblical knowledge. We depend on the elders and the preacher to do our thinking for us, to do our work for us, to study God’s Word for us. They cannot do that, nor do they have the time. Sound preachers and elders have much to do within a congregation, and cannot do it all. Our responsibility is individual, and that means teaching, leading your family to heaven and not depending on teachers, the elders, nor the preacher, what God has charged you with individually. Somewhere along the way we have shirked individual responsibility, and when something goes wrong within our family, we are much too quick in pointing the fingers to the leadership and the preacher.
God has given each of us work to do in the vineyard. We will not have the preacher nor the elders nor anyone else that will stand for us in the judgment. We each shall give an account of all that we have done (individually).
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” II Timothy 2:15
If we do not study His Word, how will we discern Truth from error. Error will walk through a congregation and speak “smooth things” taking a congregation down, that has “itching ears.” It is up to each of us to study His Word so that we can recognize error, and to live our lives not wanting the elders nor the preacher to gloss over sin. Just as you would want the truth from your physician, and not what you want to hear.
“That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the Law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: . . .” Isaiah 30:9-10
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heep to themselves teachers having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the Truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” II Timothy 4:3-4
May we speak Truth and live Truth. The world is not our home. “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:16
“But most of all, I like to watch people. Sometimes I ride the subway all day and look at them and listen to them. I just want to figure out who they are and what they want and where they are going. Sometimes I even go to Fun parks and ride in the jet cars when they race on the edge of town at midnight and the police don’t care as long as they’re insured. As long as everyone has ten thousand insurance everyone’s happy. Sometimes I sneak around and listen in subways. Or I listen at soda fountains, and do you know what? People don’t talk about anything.” ~ Bradbury
Eileen Light