Wind Chasing

When one stops to reflect on the questions: "Why am I here? What is my purpose?", it is easy to get caught up in the details of life and think that somehow life's purpose is defined by what one accomplishes in life. But when life pulls us up short and we are forced to reflect on life's accomplishments, we may come to the same conclusion as the writer of Ecclesiastes - one's accomplishments are but a chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 1
12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

So what is my purpose in life? The same writer says in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."

Jesus summed up our responsibility in a similar manner - Love God and love my neighbor. He went on to define neighbor in the parable of the Good Samaritan as the one who has mercy, concluding with the words "Go and do likewise."

Purpose is found therefore by relationships - a right relationship with God and a right relationship with all the lovable and unlovable humans God created. Can my relationships with others be a reflection of my relationship to God? That's a scary thought!

A Worthy Response

A very dear friend reminded me yesterday that I had been silent lately. Since that time I have been searching for what to say in response to the current state of affairs.
- Getting past the loss of some dear friends and family - trying to understand God's perspective rather than my own
- Praying for what seems to be a growing list of close friends who are undergoing very serious illnesses
- Thankful for the blessings of a dear family and wonderful friends
- Praying for those who are undergoing what could be called undue persecution
- Praying for God's will to be done in the lives of family and friends
- Being reminded through a study of Job that it is okay to question the province of God, but in the final analysis, I must embrace the sovereignty of God.

I have been led today to a passage from Romans (The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)

9 -10Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

11 -13Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

14 -16Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.

17 -19Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."

20 -21Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

Eighteen Days of Questions – One Afternoon of Praise

Eighteen days ago I was asking a question related to a couple of Russian orphans. Here’s what I said then:
“What is my role in seeing that these precious teenagers aren’t condemned to potential death on the streets of St. Petersburg, Russia in a few years when they are too old to remain at the orphanage? I know I can pray and I can tell others about them, but what else should I be doing? Please pray for God to help Dima and Kristina to be adopted and for those God has in mind to be their parents to hear and heed His call.”

I read Psalm 121 tonight and was reminded that God is the source of the help we all need and that He watches over our lives.

Psalm 121:1-4, 7-8 (NIV)
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Some answers to my questions eighteen days ago were answered today. Praise God for answered prayers! To see how God has worked, check out the following:

http://theheinrichhome.blogspot.com/2007/04/praise-god.html

Continuing to Pray for God's Help

Psalm 108 (NIV)
A song. A psalm of David.
1 My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.

When I have done all that I can to help make something happen, what is the next step?

This brings to mind another passage of scripture (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)
" 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Amen! So let it be.

The Prayer of My Heart Today

Psalm 102: 17-20 “He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea. Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD: ‘The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.’”

I have been working my way through the Psalms this year. This morning I began reading some verses in Psalm 102 when I received an edition of Buckner e-News Now. One of the articles in this was entitled: “Families Urgently Needed to Adopt Russian Orphans.” The link to this is ( http://www.buckner.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BIHM_russianorphans ). When I opened the link, I found the pictures of some beautiful children, two of whom I met when I was in St. Petersburg on a Buckner trip in 2005. Dima is 14 and his sister, Kristina, is 13. They have been separated in the orphanage because of their ages.

I’ve had these two on my heart since 2005 and seeing this article combined with the scripture above has hit me with the question, “What is my role in seeing that these precious teenagers aren’t condemned to potential death on the streets of St. Petersburg, Russia in a few years when they are too old to remain at the orphanage?” I know I can pray and I can tell others about them, but what else should I be doing?

Please pray for God to help Dima and Kristina to be adopted and for those God has in mind to be their parents to hear and heed His call.

Crucifixion Day - A Prelude to Victory

On the Friday before Easter each year, we remember the tremendous sacrifice that Jesus made for each and every person who has ever lived or who will ever live. The sacrifice was for me, for my sin. Yet this sacrifice made possible the victory over sin and death for all of us!

How am I to respond to Jesus for what He did for me? Today the words from Psalm 96 seem to say what I would like to say were I as eloquent a writer as the one who wrote these words. Note all of the verbs in the excerpts of verses from Psalm 96 [New Living Translation (NLT)];

“Sing a new song to the Lord!...praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does…He is most worthy of praise!...He is to be feared above all gods…O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong…Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!...Bring your offering and come into his courts…Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor…Let all the earth tremble before him…Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”…He will judge all peoples fairly…He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice and the nations with his truth.”

As I prepare to celebrate the Resurrection this Sunday, I need to be ready to participate in worship as instructed in these verses.

Lord, may You be glorified as only You are worthy. Amen! So be it!

The Easter Story from the Perspective of the Apostle Peter

After denying Jesus on Friday, Peter and the other ten disciples were in a state of bereavement and bewilderment. Even a report from some women that the tomb was empty was not sufficient evidence of anything more than a case of a missing body. It was crazy to believe that Jesus had arisen, even though He had said this would happen. Seeing the empty tomb, Peter went away wondering what had happened.

When Jesus appeared to the disciples later on Sunday, “They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost” John 21:37 (NIV). After hearing Jesus speak and seeing his hands and feet, “…they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement…” John 21:43 (NIV).

At this point, one might assume that the three years Jesus had invested in the disciples was not producing the results He intended; yet, His time with them in the last 40 days plus the indwelling of the Holy Spirit brought forth a commitment to Him that has been used to change the lives of so many.

The bewildered denier, Peter, became a bold declarer in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost where three thousand became believers.

Peter wrote the following in the book of 1 Peter (NIV): “3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

How can I become one whose faith will result in praise when Jesus Christ is revealed? Could it be that I need to claim the promise that I am behind the shield of God’s power and boldly go about doing what He has called us to do – to be a witness unto Him?