Americans--and all people--love holidays! Check out the e-card Web sites and you'll discover strange holidays you never thought existed...for along with Christmas, Easter, and Mother's Day, there's "Remember Your First Kiss Day," "Stress Awareness Day," and "Blame Somebody Else Day"--unbelievable! Well, this weekend brings another holiday with cards, celebrations, events all over the world--it's "Earth Day"--and I've got a good way my son can celebrate it--he can clean the yard!
Now I love the earth God made...I don't worship it! While I believe we should take care of it, "Mother Earth" is not my Lord...my Heavenly Father IS! Come to think of it, beyond the beauty of the earth God made, what IS there about this sick, old earth to celebrate? Have you read the headlines lately? Here's a few!
The War on Terrorism--
- "Bush Renews Attack on 'Axis of Evil'"
United States/Americas
- "Endorsement of Adult-Child Sex on the Rise!"
Israel
- "Church of The Nativity Standoff Continues"
- "Sharon Warns of Spread of Suicide Bomber Phenomenon"
Science, Technology and Medicine
- "Surge of Recent Quakes Puzzles Scientists"
Religion and the Church
- "Bishops Want Authority to Deal with Pedophile Priests"
Weird, Wild Stuff
- "Nicotine Lollipops Alarm the FDA"
(Courtesy of Real World News.)
...and that's just within one week! Our earth is crime-filled, porn-trashed, sin-infeseted, war-ravaged...and then we read in the Scriptures, "Let the earth rejoice!" Why? Why? Why?!!!
Read the words that TELL us why: "The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice!" A Heavenly Father is on high--He's watching, He's giving opportunity for your loved ones and mine to enter His Kingdom. Someday He will say, "Enough is enough!" Someday He will come--and someday there will be peace on earth...a new heaven and a new earth: sin-free, porn-free, crime-free--so LET THE EARTH REJOICE!
Got heavy stuff going on where you live on Planet Earth today? REJOICE--not because of the crisis or the circumstance--but because THE LORD REIGNS! He is King of kings and Lord of lords--of our lives and of our world--and that's all we need to know! Now believe it--rely on His wonderful Word, let us proclaim His Name in ALL the earth--and we will all have a great day WHEREVER on Planet Earth we live!!
Delight in a Word from the Well--a refreshing in the Water of His Word
"The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice... (Psalm 97:1)."
Draw from the Well--a prayer for renewing strength for this day
"Lord, the earth on which I reside is SICK! Beyond that, my OWN world is in pretty bad shape too...Help me, oh Lord, to see beyond the circumstances, to see You on Your throne, ever-watching, ever-listening, ever-loving and ever-faithful to be Lord of my life and my world. You reign over all, and based on that reality, I choose to rejoice this day, In Jesus' Name, Amen."
