June 29, 2010

• Help

  "I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.  He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep..."  Psalm 121:1-3

  Seriously, I would make a bad sentry.  I know a few people who would do an awesome job, but me...  I don't do so well without sleep.  It kind of...overtakes me.  When I get sleepy, my legs start twitching.  My brain starts to shut down to all absolutely and immediately necessary activity.  Even if I were awake, I'd pretty much be useless.  Barney (the big purple dinosaur) could be gnawing on the fort and I might not do anything about it (that could be an exaggeration.  But being that the situation will never arise, who will know?)  

  

  Not to overlook the fact that I think I'm a wuss.  I don't like conflict, I don't like screaming and shouting, and I don't like ratting on people.  All of which makes for a bad sentry.  (I'm pretty sure a good lookout man is the opposite of all of the above.)

  I'm also one to likes experience and consistency.  On those personality tests, I answer the questions about how to deal with situations by saying I rely on personal experience over theory.  So if I would find comfort in anything, I would find comfort in the mountains.  I'd probably think, If anyone is coming, they won't come over the mountains, or I'd see them first.  They are my help.  

  But the truth is, there's a help better than the mountains.  One that is a more consistent help (did you hear about how Babylon fell?  Pretty epic.  Their help definitely failed them.)  And better yet, He doesn't sleep.  That in and of itself is amazing to me.  Sleep is just an interesting concept altogether.  Don't you think it's odd that scientifically speaking, it's hard to explain sleep in terms of evolution?  Scientists don't even know exactly why we do it.  Dreams are still a mystery.  Theistically speaking, I think it's cool that God embedded in us the idea of rest.  The importance of setting aside time.  

  

  The Sabbath is kind of like that.  A time when we rest, except it is by choice, and it is in God.  It is a rest that symbolizes rest from working for our salvation.  It is a day that reminds us that God is our help, and not we ourselves.  I'm pretty sure I talked about this exhaustively in some previous post, but I won't look for it.  What better time to think about the Sabbath and God's never-exhausting work for our salvation than in the middle of the week?  

  Speaking of sleep, though, I must do it.  Good night, and please, don't ask me to keep watch.  

   

  • 11:55 pm
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