Pastor's Ponderings, December 12, 2016

God’s True Reality For Our Lives

Mark Twain, the great American author, wrote, “It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.” Steve Benen, an MSNBC writer, recently reported interesting findings from Public Policy Polling about a “reality gap” or an “alternate reality” among some voters. Sixty-seven percent of Trump voters believe the unemployment rate went up under Obama, 60% apparently believe “millions” of illegal ballots were cast for Clinton in 2016, 40% believe the president-elect won the popular vote, and 39% believe the market has gone down under President Obama– which is the exact opposite of reality. Scottie Hughes, a CNN contributor, stated, “There's no such thing, unfortunately, anymore of facts.” 

Thank God He is faithful and true even if people are not always telling the whole truth (Romans 3:3-4).  Whether people are right wing, left wing, or no wing, they will always have different opinions about world events. They may say that God puts sickness on people to teach them a lesson, but God says that He wants us to be in health (3 John 2).  People say that God wants us poor, but the Bible says He wants us rich and adds no sorrow with it (2 Corinthians 8:9, Proverbs 10:22). Some may say that most people end up failing in life, but God says those who delight in Him will prosper in whatever they do (Psalm 1:2-3).

As we prepare to go into a new year, let us not believe the pundits, the opinion-leaders, the folklore, old wives tales, or people’s take on the world.  Let us choose to believe that God wants us healed, blessed, delivered, prosperous, joyful, and successful in every area of our life.  Let us believe the true reality of God’s word and not false reality of the world.

Romans 3:3-4
New International Version (NIV)

3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?
4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar…

3 John 2
New King James Version (NKJV)

2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

2 Corinthians 8:9
New International Version (NIV)

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich

Proverbs 10:22
New International Version (NIV)

22 The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.

Psalm 1:2-3
New International Version (NIV)

2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.