Over the last couple of days, my family has been reviewing my dad’s life through sharing stories, looking through papers and perusing through mountains of photographs. We have been finding even more evidence of the extraordinarily full life he lived.
I guess that is something that most everybody does with the passing of a loved one. But it got me to thinking, why do we see the fullness of life in retrospect? Why can’t we do that for the present?
Today, we continue this new series that will hopefully help us to do that – to help us gain the spiritual, mental, and emotional understanding of a Life Worth Living
Let’s start off by taking a look again at a passage of scripture that will serve as the basis for this whole series
John 10:10b
My purpose is to give life in all its fullness
That’s a verse that we will not commit to our memories but more importantly our hearts. We need to weave this proclamation because it is easy to forget it when all the stuff of life starts piling up.
It is easy to forget Jesus’ promise of life in all its fullness when:
- we’ve got to pay the bills and our checkbook says it’s not possible
- we’re having conflict with our spouse, parents, children, or best friend
- we’re out of a job and there’s no good prospect of having one soon ?
- all the stuff in life keeps piling on relentlessly to the point we feel alone or under pressure?
It’s so easy for us to lose sight of God’s long-term dreams when we’re wrestling with nightmares now!
One of the ways we can keep God’s promise of a life worth living is to see God’s present involvement in our lives, even in small ways. That’s sometimes easier said than done.
- Sometimes we’re so busy looking for God in the “big deal” that we miss him in the ordinary.
- Sometimes we are so busy trying to see God in the spotlights that we miss him in the shadows.
- Sometimes, we’re looking for God in the sensational; we miss him in the everyday.
You never know when you will encounter God.
Our biblical text gives testimony to this fact as well. Let’s look at a portion of the story of when a man named Moses had a dramatic and surprising encounter with God.
Exodus 3:1-5
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up." 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." 5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."
[Prayer]
EVIDENCE OF GOD’S PRESENCE
1. Answer to Prayer – God heard the cries of the Hebrew people.
- Actually have to go back a bit in the book to understand this.
- Exodus 1 – Hebrews enslaved in Egypt
- Exodus 2 ends with these verses:
23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
2. Unusual Timing of Events – Moses minding his own business (not looking for any divine encounter)
3. Transformation from Ordinary to Extraordinary
- Bush as a theophany (manifestation of God).
- Normal ground to Holy Ground
When have you experienced God in any of these?
[Allow Response]
THINGS TO DO
1. Go on a God Hunt
Sometime things happen we believe are mere coincidences – but are they?
Do we want to believe in a God who created us and then just let us go at life all alone, or in a loving God who is intimately involved in our daily lives?
Who here has ever had a secret admirer? How did you know?
Don’t you think God admires you? God created you, breathed life in you! Jesus gave his life for you! Of course God admires you – God loves you!
So, we need to be intentional in looking for God at work in our daily lives. At first, it may be like looking for Waldo
All the stuff of life often obscures our vision and make it difficult to see God at work – but that doesn’t men God isn’t at work. It means we have to be intentional about looking for God.
Okay, I can see that some of you haven’t heard a word since I put this picture up, so let me help you out
2. Record Your God Sightings
Write these events down to help jog your memory when the stuff of life starts getting you down.
A journal is a great way to help you remember how God was at work in your life (even when you think you were alone).
3. Share Your Experiences
As we talk about and hear about God’s interplaying in our lives, we become even more aware of those divine times that are so often hidden (Just like I did when I showed you where Waldo was)
A Life Worth Living will include the ability to See God in the Ordinary. Are you ready to give that a try?
What will be like the next time we find ourselves in the presence of the One who knows us best and loves us most? I can only imagine.
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