There’s something to be said about hunger for the Word of God. I do something I’d only heard about from several close friends. I think they called it“ church hopping.” So, for the past few weeks, I’ve discovered quite a few churches, ministers, and associate pastors who deliver a very powerful message. From Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship to Trinity Valley Missionary Baptist, from Friendship West Baptist Church to maybe Warren United Methodist, we live in an area filled with houses of worship and men, gifted men and women called to preach. Each is unique, and each has a loyal following. I guess I’m fortunate, as we all are, to know one’s spiritual hunger can be satisfied on any given Sunday. I used to believe that the pulpit was simply a place for hypocrites to shine and generate false praise from members more interested in looking good than working for the Lord. I must admit that this belief was probably the single biggest reason I didn’t go to church. I had intellectualized myself out of the kingdom of God, and for the most part, I had convinced myself that I could stay connected without being connected. Satan had won this battle and used my unsaved spirit to take me down. Once I got past the pulpit and into the Word, my life changed and continues to evolve. The Word of God shows up in all kinds of places from all types of people and certainly under countless circumstances if you are open to it. I am sometimes amazed at how confused I was to believe that the message would be given by a perfect person, heard by perfect people in a perfect congregation.
Underneath it all, my arrogance and pride had somehow allowed me to believe maybe I was better than some, a cut above others, and certainly smarter than most. When I think about that now, it makes me sick. No wonder the devil felt like his job had been done. The good news today is I’m saved in the knowledge that I am better than no one and more flawed than many. I am no more worthy of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ than I am of the love of God the Almighty.
I’m just thankful to be in the family. As such, I’ve enjoyed the last few weeks and believe the spiritual community in our small part of God’s kingdom is poised to do great things in His name. Take the top ten churches in the area and look beyond the numbers in their congregations. You’ll find program after program designed to feed the hungry, help the poor, deliver to the downtrodden, and teach the children. When you investigate and seek out God’s Word, you find whole communities of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The key is you’ve got to open your eyes and look. At the moment you do this, God shows up. He did in my case by illuminating my sin-filled soul and letting me know, despite it all, all of His blessings are my unconditional birthright. Now I realize the power inherent in the truth. “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you sincerely love your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart, for you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable through the living and enduring God. For ‘ all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall…but the word of the Lord stands forever.” 1 Peter 22-25. The simplicity of this has now become transparent to me. God’s goodness and grace are everywhere. The view is merely clouded because we tend to try to see these things from the inside looking out, rather than from God’s point of view, looking from the outside in.
May God bless and keep you always.
