…in the Land of the Living

Today was a big day.

It’s my friend Brad’s birthday for about another hour.  I got 2 packs of guitar strings for $13.  When I put new guitar strings on, I got them all to wind really nice and neat (usually I have one that looks a little like I let my cat crank it on there).  I ate the last of my smoked meat, which means I have to smoke something else now.  I changed the line on my fishing poles and swapped in a new reel.  …annnnd I turned in the rest of my schoolwork to finish school.  That last one makes me feel very good.  I’m not sure if my professors will want me to do anything else to wrap anything up, but if I do have more to do, it’ll be very minor.  So hooooray for alll of that.  I think I’ll be doing more chemo next week, but it’ll hopefully be outpatient.  Other than that, I’ve been feeling completely fine and well.

So get this… Psalm 27 is really good.  The whole thing is pretty wonderful and even spectacular.  I know I want to live with God and look at Him all the time and forever.  The expression of that desire is generally what this Psalm is known for, and rightfully so.  There’s another part of this Psalm though, that I keep reading and saying out loud.  It’s verse 13.  Here it comes… Ready?

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Those italics are in the bible.  I didn’t add them.  How do translators know when to use italics? Anyone? ??? … … So right before this verse, and in other parts of this Psalm, David is talking about his enemies who have come to do bad things to him.  Then he writes the above statement.  I’d like to first say that I’m all about going to heaven.  I’m pretty excited about it.  Paul said, ‘…to die is gain’ (hint: it’s not really a loss).  It’s going to be everything that is great and amazing and better.

Secondly, I’d like to say that I get annoyed at times when people talk about heaven to me.  The following is not a political statement: I do not get annoyed at the people.  I really really appreciate the heart for me that what they’re saying comes from, but I don’t like the hopeless spirit that is behind their words.  I’d like to now take this opportunity to explain what I’m talking about.  At times, people have said things to me like this: “When you get to heaven you’ll be completely healed and your body will be restored.”  If you’re reading this and have told me that… please don’t be upset or feel bad.  I truly, honestly, sincerely appreciate the heart behind those words that wants to bring peace and alleviate sadness about a temporal problem.  …but a lot of times when I hear that, I get the sense that they don’t want me to be let down when God doesn’t do what I believe He will.  If a man carries hope to the grave, what has he lost?  The only thing that can come out of shattering hopes that had come from heaven is despair.

Sometimes, we can become victims of the lack of faith around.  Our faith can become tempered so we believe God only for things we think He’ll bring.  Sometimes it’s only faith for what we’ve seen Him do before.  Would God do more than He did even through Jesus Himself?  I think that’s one of the reasons Jesus was here and what He did… He kind of even said that Himself.  … When I read the bible, I NEVER get a feeling like I’m being cautioned against having hopes or a faith that is too high when it comes to believing God for the things that He’s named for doing.  Can we have hopes that are bigger than God’s power?  I’m not talking about hoping for selfish things…  … How about this…

It is true that we will have whole bodies in heaven.  It’s true that we won’t have cancer in heaven.  It’s true our bodies will be restored in heaven.  Didn’t God say to pray for things on earth to be as they are in heaven?  So praying with faith and hope that God will hear and answer is good right?  We can’t have hopes that are too high when we’re hoping for things that God told us to pray for.  … I think I’m out of things to say about all of that.  Nothing happened recently that sparked all of this.  …well I’ve been reading Psalm 27, so I guess that counts… oh, and I was google chatting with my friend David and got myself stirred up about all of this.  He just kind of listened while I started e-preaching a little bit.

The last thing I’ll add here is verse 14 from Psalm 27…

Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!

~ by leemyers on October 1, 2008.