What A Wonderful World? Really?

Bear with me as I share my heart in a matter that may not be the most cheery go lucky... but I pray that it brings light into your life today... in a world of complete darkness. So I will start us off with TRUTH.

2 Samuel 22:28-30

"You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. FOR YOU are my LAMP, O LORD, and my God LIGHTENS my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall."

Psalm 27:1

"The LORD is my LIGHT and my SALVATION; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the STRONGHOLD of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 56:13

"For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the LIGHT of life."

Micah 7:8

"Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness,the LORD will be a light to me."

Ephesians 5:6-9

"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is PLEASING to the Lord."

1 John 1:5-7

"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."

Sorry to just throw verses at you... but those are only a FEW examples of what the bible has to say about light. I have been finding myself asking a lot of what kind of daughter of the King am I being? Am I being a daughter of light as I should be..? I mean not that any of us is perfect and we can never master it. But I have been greatly distressed at some of the nastiness I have residing inside my own heart. And as I look at myself... and look at the world.. am I much different? 

I was at a open house for one of Andy's sisters this past Friday and was talking with someone and in passing someone said something to the person I was talking to about their friends saying stuff about Judgement Day that was "supposed" to happen on Saturday. The person said to me... "I hope the end of the world happens fast and is painless." And all I could say is "No one knows the time that it will happen.. but all I can say is there will be chaos." And as I look back on that conversation I know I FAILED! That is ALL I could say about Judgement Day... Really? I would hope I would have much more to say about it than just their will be chaos! :-(  I think this is difficult for everyone... there is always this "fear" with sharing.. but why should there be... we have a hope that is a "SURE and STEADFAST anchor of the soul" and we should be able to speak with utter boldness!

I have something some other thought that have come to mind from this whole "Judgement Day" hype. I am sure you will recognize the following song.

"What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces, of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, sayin', "How do you do?"
They're really sayin', "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Oh yeah

   This song seems pretty harmless, doesn't it? Peaceful almost? But years ago I remember sitting in choir in high school and my teacher talking to us about this song. She was trying to get us to sing this much more passionately than we were. I remember her saying to us... "We live is this WONDERFUL world, now lets take that and express it in the way we sing it!" She said something of that sort... but I remember just really struggling  and getting worked up over her statement. Many of my friends did not see where I was coming from at all and did not understand why I was so worked up over it. These were some of the thoughts going through my mind...  "I live in a 'wonderful' world... really... pretty sure there is a whole lot of repulsive, sickening things going on in this 'wonderful' world. How can a world where sin is reigning in the hearts of so many... be 'wonderful.'"

   Now praise God that we who have surrendered our life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ can see the beauty of his creation and say wow!! God is so good!! For me to say that Baby Hentges is not precious to me and is not a wonderful blessing would be a lie!! I praise God for all the wonderful things he has blessed me with!! I must not forget though, there are many things in this world that are not so wonderful. All you have to do is turn on the news and its in your face. You can rarely sit down and watch a movie without the ugliness of this world in your face! Overall... this world and what is in it... is not so wonderful!

  An example of how not so wonderful this world is... is the people that are looked up to and idolized! I had a friend on facebook comment on Lady Gaga's performance on Saturday Night Live... people think her act is funny... some find it repulsive as I do... but still think its funny and kind of giggle about it. It sickens me! I do not know if you know much about this lady but she is one lost and messed up soul. While Andy and I were staying in a hotel in AZ for the night a couple weeks ago... we turned on the tv to relax and one of her concerts were on. I had only heard of her but never seen what she looks like. Well, She was pretty much wearing a plastic bag (literally) with some tape over a small portion of her breast and underwear that did nothing for her... and she is speaking "hope" and "passion" into her fans. Telling them that she believes in them and that if she can be Lady Gaga they can be anything they set their minds to. Pretty great huh? She had to make a comment about an inflatable unicorn saying "Do you know whats better than a purple unicorn... a gay purple unicorn." That was enough for us. We did not have to hear or see anything more of her to know she is sick and lost. Then, to hear people I know say they think she is great and love that she stands for equality is disturbing to me... (sorry for the trail off there but for me this was a great reminder how lost this world is... people have nothing to hope in.. so they hope in someone like Lady Gaga instead of Jesus Christ... pretty sad!) 

As I continue in my pregnancy, I have many many times wondered how I could bring a child into this dark world... BUT GOD! We serve a God who is sovereign and all-powerful! There is nothing in this world that he has no control over!! Yes there is much going on in this world that is not honorable to him.. but when man chooses to sin... they choose to suffer. Maybe not now... in this world... but one day when they stand before him and are told "Away from me! I never knew you!" then they will suffer... I have been really thinking a lot about the responsibilities Andy and I have coming our way with this little life! I pray that the Lord will be changing me... molding me... shaping me even now into the mother he desires me to be to this little one! May I speak truth into this little one's life and pray for this little one as the Lord commands us in his word!

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

May I not take this command lightly... but may I also remember that the Lord is in complete control over the future of my baby! I must be obedient.. but it is the Lord who has to call my child out of darkness into light! I pray that Baby Hentges WILL be brought out of darkness into the light of God's truth.. his salvation for his children!

I apologize for the intensity and not so uplifting-ness  of my post... as it is not my intention to have your eyes on the darkness of this world... but my intention is that it may turn your eyes even more to Jesus... the "author and perfecter of our faith!" In a world of utter darkness we can cling to the hope that the King has for us! That one day he IS coming for us!! We will be permanently brought out of this world of darkness and be brought into the glorifying, marvelous light of his throne!! May we examine our eyes and see what darkness may be lingering... what things we are holding onto that need to be put before the cross... surrendered... confessed... whatever it may be.. And may we ultimately rest in the grace of our God and the hope we have! And SHARE IT!