April 6, 2008 | Matthew 11:25

There once was a man named Jeg who lived in a dark cottage in the middle of a dense forest. He was a hermit that had often distanced himself from the village that he was born in only about a quarter of a mile away. The people there were so entranced by the advancements of technology and trying to be better than the next person and wrapping themselves up in their own selfish endeavors, that Jeg just could not relate to them.

Jeg had a Bible that he read from every day and prayed often. He prayed that the townspeople would realize that God should be the center of their universe and not be so self-absorbed. Even though he did not talk much with them, he did often visit the town for the local market and the music store where he purchased Christian song sheets with his retirement money.

These visits were often marked with people leering at him as a recluse who spouted God's love and made them laugh at the audacity they felt he had over his red Bible that he often toted and paraphrased from time to time. They thought of him as a person who was different from the crowd. Jeg often wondered if somehow they were jealous of his ability to show love to others unconditionally when he would stop and talk to young people about God's love.

Matthew 11:25 | And Jesus prayed this prayer: "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise, and for revealing it to little children." TLB

He was tired of being a recluse and wanted to be more people-oriented but it was hard given the lifestyle of the people in the village. Although he did feel that the young people, that were so impressionable, felt that his rantings from the Bible gave them some sort of salvation that grew inside of them like a flower that wanted to show the beauty of it's petals.

The young ones started realizing that the style of living that there parents touted, left them empty inside. They witnessed the lack of love, the divorces, and the feeling of never being satisfied with what they had. It was as if these young people were looking inside a kaleidoscope of different opinions of what material items would make them stand out the most so they could be more recognized in the village. The parents did not realize though what the significance of these thoughts and actions were taking their toll on their offspring.

We often get so wrapped up in what we want, we don't realize that what we need is more important. We don't see the Jegs of this world through the dense smog of our own lack of imagination and forgotten spirit that is within us. It is so easy to think that material items will give us wealth and that others will be envious of us. But does the envy of others really define us as human beings, or is it just a ball and chain that eventually gets dropped in the deep lake of a shallow mind.

Luke 9:25 | and what profit is there in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting one's self? TLB

Why not turn over a new leaf this week and try to look at the world as Jeg did. Why not pick up a Bible and see what fruit it may develop in your mind. That's the interesting thing about the Bible. It harvests within us the feelings that we often try to hide because we do not want to reveal to ourselves the frailty of our problems and the humility that we so desperately need to have a relationship with.

People so often hide in addictions for this very reason because they are afraid of what is within themselves that they do not want to confront. But the addictions never release these emotions to the point where we can deal with them and get on with our lives. We only want to see what we want to see. We do not want to see ourselves for who we are. We only want to see ourselves as who we want to be, even though we forget that in order to do this we need to seek within ourselves the humility and the grace that can satisfy us way beyond what material items can produce. But instead of seeking this way of life, we hide from it to keep from being dowsed with a reality that may hurt us. But if we don't, there will always be this blackhead within us that needs to pop out and be dealt with and thrown away. Then we can be happier in the knowledge that we have attained a state of being that goes beyond what others will not realize.

With the study of God's word, we can better deal with the problems we try to push down into our minds with the numerous addictions we may have. Why not let God help you deal with the problems you have deep within you so that you can cast them off and get on with your life. Why not be a Jeg and see the world for what it is rather than what you want it to be. Give yourself to others so that you can be a shining example of what happiness and God's love can do in this world. Then you will finally realize how happy you could be.

Prayer: God grant me, this week, the humility to seek what is important in life and help me dismiss the fleeting thoughts that material possessions give me. Help me to realize that Your love is what is important and not my love for what I can get from the shopping mall. Bless me with the knowledge of what Your love can give me, and thank you for all the many blessings you have already given me. Amen.

Benediction: Now, Lord, Bless us in our daily lives. Help us to smell the roses whenever possible, to shine our light on those less fortunate than us, and lead us in the path we should go. For you are the light that keeps our path well lit. Help us to follow it, until we meet you, in a land where milk and honey abound, a place where our most wonderful dreams are fulfilled. Amen.

Hi, my name is Bryan, a messenger of hope who would love to hear from you. God Bless.

© 2008 Bryan Hill

More Sermons