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| A real purpose for living |
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I read the following in my "quiet time" yesterday, and it highlighted for me a real purpose for living: 28:1 To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Turn a deaf ear? Remain silent? This sounds like two-way interaction, or the loss of it, to me. Apparently the psalmist clearly believed, as he wrote this, that if God turned a deaf ear toward him, if God stopped listening to him and revealing Himself to him, if God ceased to fellowship with him.....he (the writer) may as well have been dead. Therefore the writer's purpose was to fellowship with God, to communicate to Him, and with Him.
I asked myself, do I feel this way? If God turned a deaf ear to me, and became silent to me, would I feel as though I may as well be dead? Would I lose my very purpose for living?
Would you? |
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| To add a comment to "A real purpose for living" |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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That, my friend, is a good question. Have never looked at it quite that way......yet. |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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Most definitely! God bless you & your family, Mike. |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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| I posed this ? to my children, and to Laura, last nite during our family devos. As long as we continue to grow in our faith, we are growing towards this: a feeling that life is meaningless (purposeless) w/o our relationship w/God. |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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Found a tune that has been running aroung in my head
Jesus be the Center.
Without God I am lost for eternity |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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There have been times in my life where I felt the loss of His presence...but those times are tests to see what we will do. I think a person has to be careful of how he defines "feeling God's presence."
Just b/c He doesn't show Himself doesn't mean He is not there...He will test our faithfulness...
That being said, if He was to actually withdraw from me...I would be afraid to die b/c that would ultimately mean I would be facing an eternity without Him....and that would suck. Without Him, in whom I am defined, I have no definition or purpose or hope.
Good thought Mike |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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| Yup! |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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We all need to consider questions like this from time to time. We need never to take our gracious Lord for granted. |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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Gods Words *are* Spirit and they *are* Life.....If God remains silent, or we refuse to hear, we are already dead...Like those dry bones in the Valley in the book of Ezekiel...but there is hope...because the prophet spoke to the winds, and the dry bones can live again. |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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| Yes I agree, only by His command do we exist and we should search for God while He still can be found (with ALL our hearts). |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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Thanks for another thought-provoking blog... |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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This is something that is even difficult for us to think on brother Mike as we can hardly imagine it happening...
BUT, may it stimulate our mind and heart to seek out God's presence and to praise our God for His faithfulness and intervention in our lives...
And, may we not turn a deaf ear to others...
Blessings In Him... :o)
Herman |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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Good blog. I had a feeling you were going to use that verse for a blog... =P |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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Patrick Hazard When I was at Christ for the Nations College, we had a McDonalds on campus. Just before praise and worship time, a lot of us went there for a snack. We would get chocolate shakes, and fries, and anything else quick. We would go into praise and worship, and really get excited about Christ. About 3 weeks into our first semester, we had 2 suicides. The staff found out that the kids would go into praise and worship, all excited, and then about an hour or two, they would be all depressed, and started thinking God was upset with them. It was the sugar rush they were feeling in praise and worship, and then when the sugar wore off, they thought God was upset with them. So, it IS important that we don't rely on how we FEEL, because God would never turn a deaf ear to us, but sometimes it may FEEL like he has. |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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I feel that feelings can't be trusted. Knowing that makes me feel better. |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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I am nothing without HIM. If he turned a deaf ear to me
I would think what did I do and how can I get HIM back.
I wouldn't want to die without HIM. Great Thoughts Mike. |
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| October 29, 2009 |
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Gary, we discovered that ourselves also so at our events, we do our cafe afterwards...only water before...
I have been very skeptical over the years of all of the pins and needles proof of God's presence...Friday The Thirteenth yields those same pins and needles...what does that mean? |
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| October 30, 2009 |
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Patrick, my son took his life. He had sugar lows that actually caused him to pass out. I NEVER connected it with suicide. I know he had a problem because he said so in his note but he had those moments when he would start crying uncontrollably and I would hurry up and get him a brownie or something and in no time he was even balanced in his emotions. We have no proof about his problem what it was. That of all things jumped at me naturally. I also am laughing one minute and crying the next and my doctor diagnosed mild bipolar. I don't know. On Meyers Briggs tests I am an ENFP with HIGH note on feeling. Jim, my husband, just told me after reading an entire book yesterday on spiritual warfare said that the devil uses his demonic activity to attack me in my emotions. Mike and I have spoken of this in a message about my whining. I will get overwhelmed and weepy and then if you follow my blogs I am up and happy and dancing. I am trying to find the solace and comfort without freaking when facing adversities and peaceful joy at the times of deliverance.
I KEEP my ears open to hear Him and look for Him in every circumstance. Oh how sorrowful it would be to not hear him at all. I look forward to His loving me in small things as much as the biggest blessings. PTL \0/ juanita mae |
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| October 30, 2009 |
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Very well said Juanita...keep you ears open to hear and look in EVERY circumstance. He is a constant (very present) help in times of trouble. God is always with us...whether we feel Him or not He is right there and He is right there with you. He tells us to draw near to Him.
I am sorry for the loss of your son. Parents are not wired to handle the loss of their children.
As far as your battle with bi-polar, those types of things and the counseling that ensues are things only present sources should decide on...over the web advice is easy but there are some medical instances where things within the body are unbalanced and the results are disorders...in others, things in life are imbalanced and the results are demonic oppression (speaking of Christians only here).
I would strongly suggest that you form a team of your family, pastor, a licensed Christian counselor, and personal physician to decide what the actual source of the problem is and what to do with that information. I pray that God will heal you and grant you peace in this through His Son Jesus... |
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| October 30, 2009 |
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Wish I had time to answer all posts... many good ones, as always :-) I agree we should not depend on feelings as a sole validator of our relationship w/God. We are so easily easily deceived through mere feelings. To me this verse, and this blog, focus on our purpose for living, for being created in the first place. It is to fellowship w/our God! The psalmist believed this, and so do I! Many/most of the psalms are laced with the feelings/heartcries of the writers. This one is no different. Have you ever told a really great friend, lover, etc., that if they weren't part of your life you could just die? This portion of Psalm 28 strikes me as being very similar. |
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| October 30, 2009 |
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| I hope I didn't seperate from that thought...b/c I agree. The thought of his absence is terrible to me. |
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| October 30, 2009 |
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without him, I cease to exist......... |
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| October 30, 2009 |
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great question and a good challenge. Find your purpose for living, in your relationship with God. Great point great reminder. Thanks. |
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| October 30, 2009 |
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A lot of the Psalms were prophetic of Christ. Remember when Christ was hanging on the cross, and He cried why have you forsaken me? And yes, our relationship is two way. So, imagine how the Father feels when we fail to check in with Him. When we refuse to commune with our creator. |
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| October 30, 2009 |
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| October 30, 2009 |
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| October 31, 2009 |
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Very thought provoking, you sure are good at that |
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| November 01, 2009 |
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| God didn't allow Noah to flee from the flood, he had him build an ark and ride on top of the water...our Lord Jesus said in the world you will have tribulation,but be of good cheer I have overcome the world..I am so glad that we as believers in Christ don't have to overcome the emotional stuff just let Jesus have it...keep the faith and stir up the gifts within us....He loves us and even says to cast our cares upon Him..need to do this daily...how about you? |
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| November 01, 2009 |
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| food for thought...or is that bread for life |
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| November 01, 2009 |
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| November 01, 2009 |
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| Patty, amen. It's hard to cast all those cares, we call em cares b/c we CARE about em, wanna keep them. But God is God after all. Could even say, Jesus BOUGHT those cares from us!!! Good comment :-) |
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| November 01, 2009 |
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| Teral...bread for life...YUP! |
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| November 03, 2009 |
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| November 03, 2009 |
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| Thanks MM Loves MC. I'm blessed to know you were blessed. |
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| November 20, 2009 |
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In therapy, we learned that addicts do not start out addicted. People start out drinking or taking drugs to make themselves feel different - to feel good. But then they find that it takes more and more of the abused substance to make themselves feel good. Eventually, they have to do it to simply feel normal.
Addiction has to be nurtured, practiced, obeyed. If you practice your addiction long enough, it will not feel normal when you stop. You will go into withdrawal.
Christianity is a form of addiction. We train ourselves to meditate on the word of God day and night. We don't feel normal unless we are in communion with God. To cease praying is to cease feeling normal.
True Christianity has all the earmarks of addiction - but so does life in the natural. Human beings are slaves. It is how we were designed. We were created in the image of our Creator, who Himself, is a slave.
We choose who our master will be. We choose what we will be addicted to. If it feels normal not to be in communion with God then He is not our Master. We are developing and nurturing an addiction to the only One who can satisfy. We don't feel normal not reading and studying God's word. We can't get comfortable not taking it to the Lord in prayer.
Human beings are governed by their emotions. This is a fact. We are who we are because we would feel uncomfortable being someone else. This discomfort keeps us where we are - in the comfort zone. We have to renew our minds by associating massive amounts of pleasure with the person we desire to be. If our present circumstance is too painful, we will move toward another reality. This is how Madison Avenue sells products and it is also how God "sells" the gospel.
When we become "fully persuaded" of the good pleasure to be had by obedience then we will move toward that state. But as long as we are comfortable in our present circumstance, we will find obedience a burdensome and grievous chore.
Rob |
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| November 21, 2009 |
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| Interesting and thoughtful response Rob. Especially your last paragraph. Thanks! :-) |
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