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www.BurlesonCrowley.com
Randy Sheridan: God’s ways only ways to put country right
By
Jun 16, 2008, 16:45
There is something very mystical about life that tends to puzzle the average person, especially someone who does not believe in the Almighty. How is it that everything comes together as it does, and we realize we are not in control of the circumstances?
Is it merely our good fortune? Maybe it’s happenstance or the luck of the draw? Better yet, perhaps we were just in the right place at the right time? Someone else suggests that it’s the law of timing. Not!
It’s called providence.
Most of us make pretty good back-seat drivers when it comes to directing our lives, but the truth of the matter is that many experiences in life come about, and they leave us with absolutely no explanation whatsoever. There is no rhyme or reason.
Agnostics would attempt to explain there is no way to be certain a higher power really exits, and if there was, no one could actually understand God. Then there are the atheists who deny God’s existence altogether.
Both must be quite lonely.
Of course, we can’t forget the humanist. No loneliness there; they are quite full of themselves and have no need of an outside force. Intellectualism reigns; man is supreme and all wise, they say.
Do they live on the same planet the rest of us do?
Let’s get a little bit personal here because I think there’s more to it than simply acknowledging a supreme being. It’s not enough to merely acknowledge a higher power. This higher power longs to have a relationship with his creation.
It’s in that relationship that our heavenly father offers insights into his ways.
An interesting passage in the Bible gives us the inside scoop about a person’s walk with the Lord. Psalm 103:7 is a fascinating passage that states, “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.”
In Israel’s experiences with God, the nation seemed to come up short in really grasping anything of the heart of God. At the end of the Hebrews own wisdom and ingenuity, they would finally call on the Lord but still rarely catch a glimpse of his defining purpose for them as a nation.
When one takes the time to do a parallel study about their times and the days in which we live — we are not much different today in America than the historical Israelites were a few thousand years ago.
Today, we who acknowledge God and endeavor to serve Him often find ourselves exhibiting the same propensities and falling into traps equivalent to those of yesteryear — simply being acquainted with what God does for us but knowing precious little about him or his ways.
Because “his ways are higher than our ways,” the challenge before us is to move a little closer to God because, “the secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.” Ps. 25:14.
I know, I know. I’m beginning to sound like a preacher on a soapbox. Right on brother!
Regardless of which side of the fence you are on politically, “Yellow Dog Democrat” or “Right-wing Republican,” please understand this: Neither of the presumptive presidential nominees has the power to salvage this country and completely right the ship as the savior of democracy.
The average man on the street would readily confess, “It’s gonna take the Man Upstairs” to fix what needs to be fixed in this old world we live in. No quick fix will do. We didn’t get in the shape we’re in overnight, and it won’t be straightened out in a New York minute.
We need to understand that our political policies, core values and free press are a reflection of our understanding the ways of God. You’ll need to think on that for a while. By the way, it’s not politically correct, but so what!
Let’s be careful about putting too much confidence in the system itself or in a man. These are merely vehicles through which a nation demonstrates it’s character and level of understanding of the bigger picture in the colossal scheme of things. It’s all about God’s ways.
Randy Sheridan of Burleson is a speaker, counselor and
mediator. He can be reached
at drsheridan@aol.com.
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