2021 01 24 A Life Less Horrible
Channel: Christopher Boorman Speaks
Date: 24/01/2021

A Life Less Horrible

Good day, everyone. And God bless you. I apologize for being away so long. Did I miss anything?

Just kidding. 

2020 was a rough year for me, as I know it was for you too. I was out of work for 9 months. I got the Rona. And I lost 2 people I cared about. I lost one to pancreatic cancer. I lost the other to, well, it was either Jesus or Trump. I’m not sure which, but one of them caused him to cut off all communication with me, ending a 20 year friendship. I’m sad, but I wish him well. One phrase that has been deleted from my lexicon “It can’t get any worse”.

I was astounded at how many people kept saying how much they would enjoy New Year’s Eve, getting to say good bye to 2020. Thinking that 2021 was going to be better just because we’re using a new calendar. 

2021 is here. What’s changed? To be honest, I don’t know that things are going to get better anytime soon. In fact, I think they will get worse before it gets better, especially for the church.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been thinking about how “comparatively” good people can get caught up in the fallout of other people’s sins. Obviously noone is “good” the way God is good. We are all sinners.

When the Israelites staked out the promised land and 10 of the 12 spies said “We can’t take the land. We’re no strong enough.” Most of the crowd went with them, and they doomed themselves to travelling the desert for the rest of their lives. But were Joshua and Caleb the only 2 people who were willing to go in and take the land? I don’t know. Maybe there were a handful of citizens who believed that God would deliver on his promises. But they died in the desert just like the rest.

How about the Canaanites and the Hittites and all the other -ites that God told the Israelites to wipe out when they finally did take the land? Remember, God said to kill men, women, children, even the animals.Was every single organism living in that land a sworn enemy of Jehova? I don’t know. Maybe there were some comparatively “innocent” people living in that land, but because of everyone else surrounding them, they get caught up in the consequences.

Or what about when Israel had completely turned their back on God, engaging in behavior even worse than the people God had commanded them to wipe out?  And they had to go into captivity?
Was every single Israelite sacrificing their children in the fire? I don’t know. There might have been a few who still hadn’t succumbed to the spirit of the age. But they got sent into exile just the same. 

Now I’m not saying this to depress you, I’m saying this to provide some measure of empathy. You might be doing what you know you should do, and all of THIS still keeps happening to you. I’m sure Job could identify. 

I wouldn’t blame you if you were just as angry with God right now as Job was when he was going through his trial. I am.

You may be tempted to “Curse God and die” as Job’s wife advised him. More to the point, you may be thinking of just throwing this whole God thing aside and say “He obvoiously doesn’t care about me. I don’t care about him. I’m gonna do what I want”.

Can I ask you to instead just hang in there? Keep it it. Stay in prayer, stay in the word and Stay in God’s will. Talk to him. If you have resentments against God tell Him! I do. 

The reason why I’m asking this of you is that being in God’s will is still the best and safest place to be. Notice I didn’t say “perfect”, I said “best”. I didn’t say “safe”. I said “safest”. The only completely perfect, completely safe place is in heaven. And we’re not there yet. We live in a sinful, broken world, where LIFE IS NOT FAIR. 

I‘ve never read it, but I’m told that the big book of AA begins with the sentence “Life is difficult”. That book was written decades ago.

Life was difficult in 2019. It got more difficult in 2020. I think it may get worse in 2021 for the just and the unjust. Now is not the time to walk away from God. Now is the time to lean in like your very life depends on it and to get in the scriptures daily.

I say this in love, it doesn’t matter how bad life gets. When you live apart from God it can get worse, either through the natural consequences of our own selfishness and stupidity or God trying to correct us; to put up that electric fence to tell us “Don’t go that way”.

Thankfully, for those who are in relationship with Christ, death is not the worst thing that can happen to us, it is a graduation, a 360 degree upgrade. If you have nothing else to look forward to in your life. Look forward to that. 

God is still sovereign. He still loves you. He’s still taking you to heaven when Jesus returns. And all of THIS will be like a forgotten dream.

Thank you all for listening. God bless you.