Friday, August 19, 2011

The Resilient Life

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith...

~ Hebrews 12.20-1

Recently we’ve looked at ‘The Resilient Life’ as a topic of study and reflection. On some level each of us desires to live with resilience. We want to live lives of faith and hope in the storms of life and in the calm.

Caleb was sent with 11 others to scout out Canaan. Ten said, No way, but Caleb and Joshua said, With God’s help we can do this. Forty years later Caleb was still a fighter…He lived The Resilient Life.

Eli failed miserably as a father. His two sons became priests and made a mockery of the ministry under Eli’s gaze. They would be punished by God. Eli’s eyes had grown dim yet, when the Lord called Samuel, Eli recognized that God was speaking to the boy and he told him how to listen. Eli had allowed the Lord to heal him of his failure and he was in his 90’s when he mentored Samuel.

Sunday we will focus on Solomon, a king known for his prayer for wisdom, his judgment (one in particular), his riches and his building of God’s house, the Temple. He ruled a long time and did great things, yet he lost focus in the living of his life. And he was the wisest person to ever live! I hope you’ll be here as we seek God’s guidance as we reflect on Solomon’s life. I am very excited about what there is for us to learn.

Just so you know, it is a privilege to be your pastor and I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday. Let’s commit again to living The Resilient Life.

Blessings,

Ande