Judgment as a Message of Hope

A few years ago, I was preparing a message on judgment when I was struck with a surprise - It was a message of hope.

--- Even when there are no signs of life in the tree, the Gardener gives another year --- and lovingly tends the tree to eek out the life that no one else sees but He still believes may be there.

In a message of judgment and destruction, imagine this main message is:

God still believes in you.

Perhaps you'd consider returning the favor!

That being said,

C.S. Lewis observed, in "The Great Divorce," that at the end, there are two kinds of people:

1. Those who say to God, "Thy will be done." and

2. Those to whom God say, "Thy will be done."

And remember,

"Harsh judgement is based not on the sternness of the Holy Ghost, but on my refusal to bear someone else's burden." --Oswald Chambers

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And Entirely "Other" Thought.

Time passes ... slowly at first ... and picks up speed ... progression ... until it cascades!

 

And then, we wake up and know that whatever we must do, we must do now.

 

We have now and, in the precious now, is atomic potential for ...

 

We bring all of our yesterdays and all of our tomorrows into the explosive present ... the pregnant now and ...

 

WOW!

 

We live!

 

If we choose to do so!

 

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." (KJV)

"Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom." (NLT)

- Psalm 90:12

 

and ... as The Message translates it ...

 

"Oh! Teach us to live well!

Teach us to live wisely and well!

Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—

and treat your servants with kindness for a change.

Surprise us with love at daybreak;

then we’ll skip and dance all the day long.

Make up for the bad times with some good times;

we’ve seen enough evil to last a lifetime.

Let your servants see what you’re best at—

the ways you rule and bless your children.

And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,

confirming the work that we do.

Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!" (verses 12-17)