Echoes From the Campfire

[Don Adkisson]

       “What a man knows isn't important. It's what he is that counts.”
                    --Jack Schaefer  (Shane)

       "Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living."
                    --Psalm 27:13 (NLT)
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There are many things that I do not understand and the older I get it seems as if there are more of them.  I don't understand when people say, "adulting is hard," or "I have to adult today."  Grow up!  A couple of years back I responded to someone on Facebook who I thought I knew.  Through their high school years they were one of the "whining babies" but a good student.  They wrote a whining note on Facebook to which I responded, "Get a life," and received a scathing letter on messenger on her behalf.  Another one I hear quite a bit, "I'm so stressed out."  My mercy, do you not have the Holy Spirit living within you?  
     I read the words of Jesus, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10, NKJV)  More abundantly, not stress, not worry, but abundant life is through Jesus.  The abundant life that gives salvation, nourishment to our souls, healing for our bodies and minds, strength to face the problems of the day and life.  Why then do we whine and whimper?  
     Perhaps it is because we try to do everything in our own strength; we forget that we belong to the Lord.  Our confidence is in ourselves and when we fail, well, some just fall apart.  Shame...  Because of Christ and the Holy Spirit living within us and guiding us we should have confidence to face each day, to face each problem, to climb over each obstacle.  In Christ life is good.  That does not mean that everything in life is good.  Someone wrote, "Life is composed of both joys and sorrows, triumphs and defeats.  Yet when we consider all the experiences of life in relation to our love for God, life as a whole works out for our good."  Paul reminds us, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28, NKJV)  Grab hold of those first few words--"We know that all things...."
     I know of those who say that we can make it.  Have confidence in yourself; pull yourself up; take one more step.  Listen, without Christ that is a recipe for failure.  Oh, yes, we are to have confidence, but our hope is in the Lord.  We should have confidence--faith and trust--in our heavenly Father.  He is the One who has our future in His hands.  He is the One in whom we can depend.  Therefore, put your confidence in Him.  "Success or failure is not measured by a few outstanding or disappointing days, but by all the days of our life." (Elijah A. Cockman)  
     Quit being a whining baby!  Be a man or woman of God!  Stand firm, and when having done all, continue to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)  Listen, through the exercise of our faith, God will take the events of each day and work them for our good.  But we must trust and not doubt.  We are to be joyful and not murmur.  Perhaps we should recall what happened to all the whining babies that Moses had to deal with.  If I recall rightly, they all died in the wilderness except the two who had faith--Joshua and Caleb.  Live your life abundantly in Christ.  The words of Thoro Harris should be ours as well:

               "Are you trusting Jesus, All along the way?
               Does He grow more precious To your heart each day?
               Are you His disciple?
               Test His Word and see,
               He will give the Spirit more abundantly."

D.C. Adkisson