Whether in Adversity or in Prosperity

“In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.” -Ecclesiastes 7:14 (ESV).

     As Christians, we need to cultivate the perspective of not being discouraged when times are hard for us; neither should we be “holier than thou” or arrogant when things go well with us. “The Preacher” who wrote Ecclesiastes said God “made the day of prosperity as well as the day of adversity.”

      Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe, a noted Bible scholar, comments: “God balances our lives by giving us enough blessings to keep us happy and enough burdens to keep us humble.” (The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: “Ecclesiastes”. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook. 2007, p. 1131).

      Consider the example of Job in the Bible. In trying to explain his dire circumstances after he lost everything, Job’s friends used an old widely-held maxim that indicated those in God’s favor prosper and those who are out of His favor suffer.

We have not moved far from that stance in our modern-day thinking. We still at times are judgmental of those with great prosperity as well as those who, as we say of the indigent and poor, “are down-and-out.”

      Paul the Apostle touched strongly facing both adversity and prosperity in his letter to the Philippians: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned n whatever situation, I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13, ESV).

      Even though we cannot know the future, as the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us, we “know who holds the future,” as the words of the gospel song remind us.

Prayer: God, give me confidence in You and Your promises. Whether I have adversity or prosperity, let me know that the future is in Your hands. In the present, help me walk worthily of my calling, so that, whether in hard times or easy times I know assuredly that you are with me, I follow your footsteps, and You bear me up and carry me.” Amen. -Ethelene Dyer Jones 09.23.2016

On This Day of International Peace

“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” -1 Peter 2:11.
     “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” -Ephesians 6:10-12 (ESV)
     Today, September 21, has been set aside as “World Peace Day” or “The International Day of Peace.” The day was established by a resolution in 1981 in the United Nations General Assembly sponsored by the United Kingdom and Costa Rica. The first observance was held September 21, 1982. Since then, the International Day of Peace has been devoted to commemorating and upholding the ideals of peace. A review of yearly themes and emphases show the importance placed on peace.
     This plea came from UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon as we begin the 2016 observance: “Let us all work together to help all human beings achieve dignity and equality; to build a greater planet, and to make sure no one is left behind.” The theme for 2016 is “The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace.” From now through 2030, are specific yearly goals, 17 Sustainable Development Goals (which can be accessed online, with explanations and pictures).  These cover poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, water and sanitation, energy, Infrastructure-Industry-Innovation, reducing inequalities among countries, sustainable cities and communities, consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on the land, peace and justice, and global partnerships to reach developmental goals. 
     When we think about our history as a people, we remember that God created man and gave him the mission and responsibility of caring for the earth (see Genesis 1:27-31). Then man, who was created to have power of choice and made in the image of God, made wrong choices, and subsequently we have been suffering the consequences of sin and what it can do in people and in our environment. We are as “strangers” upon the earth because for those of us who love the Lord, our eternal dwelling is in heaven. But while we are here, we have responsibilities to interact with each other, to use our God-given mind and ingenuity to live together peaceably, and to seek to make our earthly dwelling productive and as peaceful as possible. Paul wrote in Ephesians of a battle of major proportions, our wrestling against “cosmic powers in present darkness.” He urged us to “put on the whole armor of God” (see Ephesians 6:10-20). We seek to legislate peace-attaining laws and set developmental guidelines to help us achieve worldwide peace. But it is one-by one, individually, that we achieve “peace, and love and faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 6:23-24). - Ethelene Dyer Jones 09.21.2016

The Lord Frees the Prisoner

“The Lord sets the prisoner free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the sojourners.” -Psalm 7b, 8, 9a (ESV).

     The prisoner propelled his wheel chair down the walkway from the large prison to the gate. A guard walked beside him. When they reached the gate, the guard knew the combination to open the gate, and the man propelled himself across that line from imprisonment for twenty years to freedom. The prisoner’s debt to society had been paid. Ahead lay a future of uncertainty, but without the constraints and restrictions of prison. Even though the gate closed behind him, only the Lord could set the prisoner free, like opening the eyes of the blind, to trust that which lay ahead. Only the Lord could watch over the sojourner and lift him up, helping to supply his needs in the free world.

     The morning’s overcast sky had faded to bright sunlight as friends waited for the prisoner’s release. They had come to give him transportation to his destination, a far distance from the prison. The flags on tall poles outside the prison unfurled in the morning breeze. These symbols of freedom of nation and state seemed to be waving a welcome to the prisoner, a visible reminder that, as we often hear, “freedom is not free.”

     Across the many miles from prison to the releasee’s destination was beautiful countryside that brought into vision one majestic landscape after another. Twice hawks rose and winged their way into the sky. The driver and the other passenger did not notice the hawks, but the releasee was delighted to see these stately birds as they rose in flight.

     Cattle grazing in pastures were identified by him as to their breed. Baled hay in just-mown fields was noted as food for winter’s store and bounty from God’s hands. Upon arriving near the mountains, his former home, the horizon lay in azure lines. With joy he exulted in seeing the mountains. He was able to identify and name the highest peaks. His delight and rejoicing in the beauty of nature was evident in words of thanks from his lips as the travelers proceeded northward. 

     In prearrangement with the prisoner’s counselor, I had agreed I would provide safe and dependable transportation for the freed man to his parole destination. He was not a stranger to me. I had visited him in prison, and for fourteen years I had “taught him by correspondence,” because he had asked me to be his instructor in creative writing. As we ate lunch, he quoted one of the poems he had composed in prison, one that he had both penned and memorized, anticipating the day of his release.

     That day’s journey and the prisoner’s release taught me so much about the mercy of a loving God and the importance of gratitude. Twenty years is a long time to be in prison, to be confined and restricted. God sets the prisoner free from bad memories, from sins that restrain and hamper, from weights too heavy to bear. God offers freedom to newness of life with Him and provides safety for the sojourner. -Ethelene Dyer Jones 09.15.2016