Third Thanksgiving Payback: Purpose

The turkey has been eaten or frozen for later. The mammoth sales are over. The game's glow of victory or shadow of defeat has faded.

The Thanksgiving weekend has ended.

Let us hear the end of the whole matter:
Fear God, and keep His commands,
For this is the whole of man.
~ Ecclesiastes 12:13

"Fear God, and keep His commands" might accurately sum up human purpose. But it comes at the end of Ecclesiastes, Solomon's long lament about the "whole" of life as "meaningless," "vanity," "pointless," or "useless" (depending on your Bible's translation). How do we reconcile the wisdom of Solomon simultaneously viewing the whole of life as meaningless and the whole of man as "Fear God, and keep His commands"?

And further, from these, my son, be warned;
The making of many books has no end,
And much study is a weariness of the flesh.
~ Ecclesiastes 12:13

King Solomon possessed greater luxury, peace, and wisdom than all before or since. Yet he wearied himself searching for his "whole" in many women, much study, and a multitude of writings. He rightly concluded that the whole of man is found in fear of God and obedience to Him, but evidently found no satisfaction in the conclusion.

Solomon's descent came not in the loss of any blessing, but in failure to be content. His father David lived much of his life in exile and want, enduring hostility and war, yet he expressed continual gratitude to God through it all. Solomon's two psalms, volumes of proverbs, and Ecclesiastes elegy fail to speak of gratitude at all despite his enormity of blessings and peace.

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work."
~ John 4:34 (NKJV)

Jesus knew His purpose and it was food to Him, body and soul. Gethsemane revealed that although human will and purpose are quite distinct, they find harmony in acceptance of God's will as blessing. We see in Scripture that Jesus, God the Son, always gave thanks to God the Father for His food, including the food of God's will, for He gave thanks for the covenant cup (Matthew 26.27-28)—a cup made available only because Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, also accepted the cup of God's wrath (Isaiah 51:17, Matthew 26:39,42).

This grace was given me: to proclaim goodness … the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make visible to everyone our share of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things … according to the eternal purpose which God accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
~ Ephesians 3:8-11

In the giving of thanks, we make invisible God visible. We have highest purpose.

The Thanksgiving weekend may be over. The giving of thanks has no end.

Gracious Father, reveal to us Your will and our purpose. Lord Jesus, thank You for Your glorious example. Holy Spirit, empower us to live up to all we are to be, to our Father's delight.

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Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Risk Tolerance and Investment Return

What kind of investor are you? Do you tolerate higher risk for higher profit potential? Prefer lower risk with guaranteed return? Maintain a nicely balanced portfolio?

What kind of Bible reader are you? Among the profits sought for time invested in Bible reading are to …

• obtain words of comfort or encouragement
• gain wisdom / advice on how to live
• gain knowledge of biblical principles
• find corroboration for an established belief
• expand religious doctrine
• expand a legalistic list of thou-shall-nots
• fulfill a perceived duty
• study history
• study prophecy of the future
• hear from God personally
• understand the character of God
• know the Person of God

Reading the Bible to simply check it off a "to do" list carries low risk and the guaranteed return of self-satisfaction. Substantial penalties may apply for unsanctioned withdrawals. Higher profit potential requires a greater investment. And if you would obtain the highest return—if you want to know God—expect a wild ride recommended for those not faint of heart.

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm… And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"
~ Mark 4:39-41 (NKJV)

Seasoned men of the sea were battered by waves which provoked a terrified cry to Jesus for help. When He offered His signature message of peace and good will to the storm, His disciples were filled with an entirely new kind of fear—the fear of facing God.

Peter and John and Paul stand among the greatest apostles. Like a host of biblical greats who came before, each of them trembled when confronted with meeting holy God.

When Simon Peter saw [the great catch of fish], he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" … And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men."
~ Luke 5:8,10 (NKJV)

Lord, make us brave and fill us with faith. Lord, fill us with desire to know You, that we will better love You. You are worthy of all we have, and all the best of it!

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This post is part of the "One Word at a Time" blog carnival hosted by Peter Pollock. You're invited to visit his site and see what others are saying about today's one-word theme: Much.

Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Moment of Truth

The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered and said, "I have no husband."
~ John 4:15-17 (NKJV)

Does Jesus' M.O. feel a little like bait and switch?

Jesus opens an unwelcome discussion about water. He manages to entice an unsuspecting woman into desiring the water He has available. But when she becomes interested in what He offers, Jesus changes the subject.

It just so happens to be the last subject in the world she wants to talk about, where she is most vulnerable.

Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."
~ John 4:17-18 (NKJV)

Whatever her own contribution to her situation, this poor woman has either been divorced or widowed five times. She likely has no chance of another marriage candidate, and is reduced to cohabitation or harlotry or slavery for subsistence. Could she possibly feel more rejected by God or men or both?

And now, this stranger condenses the sum of her life's tragedy to a single sentence and confronts her in a moment of truth she was not ready to face.

But we know what she has not yet discovered. When God brings a man or woman to such a moment of truth, He is ready to do some of His best work in a life.

Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
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Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Necessary Tension

A trivial fascination of mine is the simplicity and necessity of springs. Some pull, some push. They continually surprise me in the discovery of how microscopic or mammoth they can be—of how critical they are to the function of everything from door latch to DVD player.

Their purpose is to provide necessary tension. If constantly at tension, they cease to be functional. If never at tension, they fail to serve their purpose.

For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
~ Psalms 66:10-12 (NKJV)

Though God's refinement and washing bring new opportunities for rich fulfillment, they also bring the necessary tension of being stretched and pressed.

If we're constantly at tension, we flirt with dysfunction. But if never at tension, we've little opportunity to fulfill our purpose:

Come and hear, all you who fear God,
And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
~ Psalms 66:16 (NKJV)

Lord, how thankful I am that Your wisdom rather than our comfort decides when and how necessary tension enters our lives. Please make us faithful to fulfill our purpose. Please open our souls to receive refinement and washing, and to realize true fulfillment.

Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.