smoke and shadows

SMOKE AND SHADOWS
 
 
Worldwide there is continuing trouble with wars and rumours of wars. Governments seek peace and financial stability.  Promises are made and promises are broken.
 
Health issues, including mental balance, cancer, the destructiveness of smoking, excessive drinking by youths and obesity problems hit the news lines. General approval of same sex marriages is pushed and gambling problems are causing governments huge amounts of money. Sadly, what seemed happy marriages, even Christian ones, are suddenly broken and some churches have problems 

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;​Solomon, who studied what was going on around him in his kingdom, came to this conclusion: ‘No one can predict misfortune...men and women are caught by accidents evil and sudden’ (Ecclesiastes 9:12)’. In fact he concluded that so much in life is like ‘smoke and shadows.’ Regarding the future, he said, ‘It's true that no one knows what's going to happen, or when.’ (8:7).
 
But, in the midst of continuing world and national uncertainties today, Christians who deeply trust their God can work through even the bleakest of situations and come through every dark tunnel full of light , joy, peace. No magic formula; just a simple trust in a great loving God and his word. 

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Winston Churchill, in the dark days of World War 2, delivered many strong positive comments to encourage a little island under threat of defeat on several military fronts and probable invasion.  Such as the following abridged collection of insights: ‘It is a wicked thing to take away man’s hope. Doubt cramps energy. Belief is power. To believe is to be strong.’
 
Christians have hope, great power in Jesus Christ. But unfortunately many, who are supposed to be positive in every situation, seem to foolishly delight in living in the past! Yet we are meant to be people of the present creating - with the Holy Spirit's help.
 Grabbing hold of the biblical promise of Jeremiah 29:11 and living life to the full. Getting on with life. But all too often we allow the mistakes and the bad-case scenarios of yesteryear to bind us today from enjoying life and ‘moving on.'  We must refuse to live there and move on! 

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​The truth is that we've all made errors of judgment both in speech and action – including some things we're ashamed of, but one of the precious things about being a Christian is that when we ask forgiveness we're totally forgiven and can ‘get a life.' 

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