Okay, God, You got me again!

Friday 8-21-15 (Mount Lassen Campmeeting)

Scripture reading:  Jer. 21, 24, 27    Psalm 118   1 John 2

S=Scripture O=Observation A=Application P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  1 John 2:16  For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. NLT

O.  Perhaps the verb “lust” only brings up thoughts of sexual desires, but it is not intended to do so in this context.  John describes a world that is bent on seeking pleasure.  It is each one of us Americans, the most guilty of all nations, dedicating ourselves to the “pursuit of happiness.”  It is lust for the latest device, an impressive automobile and a hefty bank roll.  It is our lust to ignore the needs of our neighbors and go travel the world.  It is our addiction to “entertainment.”

A.  Am I condemning myself?  Am I the guilty one?  When I see a new electronic device advertised that does everything imaginable... and few beyond my imagination... do I lust after that?  Do I want to have it and proudly show it off to my friends to let them know I am up-to-date and abreast with the times?  The elder Apostle John is meddling with me, with my family and many of my friends.  He is messing with my lust, my desire for gadgets which will not bring me happiness.  They are things that will soon be out-of-date and I will be finding myself checking out and desiring another one, the latest up-dated model.  Yes, I’m hooked!

P.  Lord, Look!  I am being left behind!  My old phone doesn’t take dictation.  My neighbor’s six year old little grandson has one that’s more up-to-date.  I am told by the ads and by my friends that I need a new iphone.  Oh yes, and an ipad or an ipod, plus an ithis and an ithat.  I, I, I!  Aye! Aye! Aye!  I wonder what I am teaching my son and grandson. (Selah!  Interlude!  Ralph, think on that!)  God, You have blessed me with lots of wonderful gadgets that are now stored out in the garage for they now useless and out-of-date.  Help me be sensible, wise and prudent with my priorities.  May they take into consideration the reaching of the lost!  May they be subject to Your priorities!  Amen.

Ralph

PS.  Please understand that I love these gadgets... I’m hooked.  But I just heard a pastor friend tell me that he carried his wonderful ipad or ipod or something like that... loaded with all his sermon notes to the pulpit and behold the thing crashed.  I wonder... should he blame the devil? J  Maybe I’ll wait for the next up-dated one that promises never to crash... or maybe... just maybe... I’ll might go back to the Book that never crashes J.