Keeping the Present in His Presence

He first cuts down a cedar, or maybe picks out a pine or oak, and lets it grow strong in the forest, nourished by the rain. Then it can serve a double purpose: Part he uses as firewood for keeping warm and baking bread; from the other part he makes a god that he worships--carves it into a god shape and prays before it. With half he makes a fire to warm himself and barbecue his supper. He eats his fill and sits back satisfied with his stomach full and his feet warmed by the fire: "Ah, this is the life." And he still has half left for a god, made to his personal design--a handy, convenient no-god to worship whenever so inclined. Whenever the need strikes him he prays to it, "Save me. You're my god." Pretty stupid, wouldn't you say? Don't they have eyes in their heads? Are their brains working at all? Doesn't it occur to them to say, "Half of this tree I used for firewood: I baked bread, roasted meat, and enjoyed a good meal. And now I've used the rest to make an abominable no-god. Here I am praying to a stick of wood!" Isaiah 44:14-20 (The Message Modern Translation)

Isaiah must have had a sense of humor to write this passage. Doesn't it seem foolish for someone to cut down a tree, use part of it for firewood and then carve an idol out of the other piece? Laughable, isn't it?

Sure glad I never do something that foolish. You neither, huh?

Well, maybe I should think about that. I do like my LSU football, and sometimes it goes beyond entertainment, and I really get depressed for a day (or a weekend) when they lose. And I spend a lot more time picking out cars than is necessary, something that has four wheels and an engine no matter which one I pick...okay no real defense there. But I don't worship knowledge and I never get in an argument just for the sake of proving a point (lightening strike at any moment). And I never get upset if someone gets the best of me financially, like when Blue Cross and I disagree and they have the audacity to ignore my tenth email. And beating that car down Spring Hill Avenue that just passed and cut me off is just teaching them a lesson---I'm totally unemotional, completely detached and just doing them a favor by proving their hurriedness was unnecessary.

And I do NOT have to please others or feel depressed! I only worry about things like that for few hours (or days) and then I'm over it, so no problem there. And that package I expected in the mail yesterday--I will wonder about it all day today, but isn't that normal--the fact that it captures my attention and wastes time, that's okay, isn't it?

Well, you get the point. I don't cut down trees and make little wooden images while I cook my dinner over the rest of the wood. And I really don't worship a Tiger or any other animal; I really don't have to be in control ALL the time, or win every argument, or whatever else distracts me from this moment with God.

But I let all of those things encroach on "the present" and crowd out the "Presence". I was made to be in communion with Him, not just on Sundays or at church or on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with my group of Christian and Jewish friends. I was made to be in His Presence continually, not always thinking of Him, but always aware of Him. My state of mind is to be constantly seeking Him and His Kingdom, and He said He would give us all the things we need, and sometimes lots of things we just want.

But we do ourselves harm and do Him great injustice when we forget Whose things we are prone to worship, Whose sovereignty we are prone to usurp (in our minds only), Whose justice we are prone to impose (against others, not ourselves), and Whose righteousness we fall woefully short of (it bothers me that I ended this sentence with a preposition, so I added this parenthetical remark to make it look better, not that I am perfectionistic or anything; really I'm not...)

Isaiah's example of foolish idolatry was obvious, ludicrous, ridiculous. But if I give lip service to worship while my mind wanders over the anxieties of the moment; if I speak of my faith while my life indicates a constant need for control; if the last word is my form of "vengeance is mine, saith me"; if things are more important than people; if people are more important than God; if religious correctness is more important than the fact that Jesus died for us all--then I think chopping down a tree and carving an idol rather pales by comparison.

So, how do I avoid this? Do I separate myself from all temptations of the world that are good things but lead me to idolatry? No, as I heard a minister say recently: we cannot place ourselves in a plastic baggy to insulate ourselves from the world, for even then we could still have our ill temper, our covetous nature--our humanness would be in the bag right there with us. The answer is in separating ourselves to God--putting Him first and allowing Him to be the master of our lives, our possessions, our relationships, and each waking moment (and pray that He directs our dreams!!).

Not easy, not for me. But nothing of eternal significance really ever is.

Jesus, in Matthew 6 said: If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers--most of which are never even seen--don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:30-34 (The Message Modern Translation)

Amen-so be it.!!