"(17) Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— (18) Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
(19) The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills."
-Habakkuk 3:17-19
We live in a passing world. We are surrounded by decay, darkness, and sadness. All around, we come face-to-face with the world without God. People seeking thrill and parties because they have nothing to go to after this life on earth. YOLO, right? I remember when that was a huge saying, even though it got really old, really fast. For those of you don't know, YOLO stands for "You Only Live Once". I would see people wearing shirts with "YOLO" written across, or hats with the saying plastered on in big letters. It wasn't a big deal to me, I didn't really give it a second thought. This was popular around the year 2012, so I was pretty young. My family and I weren't Christians, and in a sense, I kind of agreed with the slogan. This was our only chance here on earth, so why not take risks, since whatever is after this definitely won't be as enjoyable as skydiving or partying all night, right?
I happened to think about this saying earlier this morning, and I realized the depth of the message this was sending out. Do you think Adam and Eve thought "YOLO" as they sinned, fell away from God, and became ashamed of their nakedness? Do you think Moses thought "YOLO" when he took praise for the water that poured from the rock that God had given them? Do you think David thought "YOLO" when he sinned with Bathsheba and killed her husband Uriah, resulting in the death of many sons? They all knew there was a God, somewhere to go after this life on earth, yet they sinned because of the temptations of the world. The grief and regret is evident after each incident, and repentance and praise to God for His forgiving nature follows not long after. Now, we look at today. People doing drugs, drinking alcohol, having sex before marriage, thinking and saying profane things to and about one another, and saying evil things about God and His nature. These people have no hope, no knowledge of the good things to come. So they think YOLO, since this world is going to end one day, and that will be it.
(1) And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, (2) in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, (3) among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
(4) But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (5) even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (6) and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (7) that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
-Ephesians 2:1-7
What a wonderful verse expressing the power of God's love and forgiveness. But God. Every time I see these words, I understand more and more the nature of God.
We were dead in trespasses and sins, But God.
We directed ourselves according to the lust of the flesh, by our desires, But God.
We were children of wrath, set apart from God by our own doing, But God.
This world is not my home, I'm just passing through. In this world that is fighting to erase God, it is our mission as Christians to build God's name up once again. We need to help those around us living a "YOLO" lifestyle, show them there is more, show them the thrill is not in or of this world, but in the life we are to receive. We choose what life we are to live. Not our friends, not our family, it is up to us. Are you going to live a YOLO lifestyle, or are you going to live for God? God is just to forgive a repenting heart. Go to Him, and He will give you rest.
Remain strong in Him, and be the light you are to be.