Emptiness!

How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave. Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. Lamentations 1:1,2 NIV (read the entire chapter)

Many of us know how we feel when we reach the end of a drink and there is nothing more to replenish it. Remember when kids–who emptied the bottle of pop or juice–after the last swallow– would turn it upside down and shake it–disappointed by its emptiness.

How many people remember a piece of cake or pie–the last piece–and they thought they would have an opportunity to eat it, but when they went to get it–it was gone; someone else had those same thoughts. And because our taste buds were ready for that–something–nothing else will pacify it.

When I look around our society, I feel the emptiness–the void–that keeps encroaching and widening by hatred and bigotry, divisive because love has left the scene and the emptiness it leaves is felt by the multitudes.

Dare I look into a person’s face walking the street and see the emptiness in their eyes where hope no longer has a place to hide deep in their soul. Blank stares are met with wonder–how did we get to this place?

“Where am I and what am I doing here and does anyone care that I am empty and need to be filled beyond capacity with love–God’s love–overflowing so light can be seen again, dispelling the darkness that pervades my soul?”

There is more than one person, wandering aimlessly in our midst–trying to figure out what happened and why they have no joy or peace. The answer is really quite simple. Our soul longs for the direction and instructions from God because apart from Him, there is no joy or peace. When the love of God ceases to exist within, other foul spirits take up residence and cloud our minds and soul, keeping us from the inviting light of love, leading us to think the darkness is how it should be, but oh how empty it leaves us!

So, in our midst are multitudes of people who thought that ignoring God’s Word and rejecting His love would bring them a measure of happiness, but when they gave into the fleshly dictates–discovered just how empty they were.

When people are empty–they try anything to fill the void–they turn to drugs and alcohol, arrogance and deceit, manipulation and lies, bigotry and hate, perversion and subversion–anything–to make them feel whole again, except–a visit to the fountain. At the fountain of love where Jesus waits–to fill us so we’ll want no more–there is peace and joy and we can have our fill and return again and again, never having to know emptiness again, but will we go?

What the soul craves is not the dictates of this world, but the promise of eternity and how to enjoy life where we are. Come to the fountain and be filled! Come to Jesus, right now, repent of everything that’s not like Him, and allow to Him to replace all the earthiness–desires of the flesh–with Love!

There is no one like Jesus who can fill us till we want no more and never have to thirst again or know emptiness that debilitates and destroys. Hallelujah!

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Believers’ Instructions for Daily Living (Part 2)

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:6-11 NIV).

What are empty words? I can think of a few–political correctness, alternative lifestyles, inclusiveness, living in the moment, just do it, it’s about me, no pain-no gain, God doesn’t care what we do, and the list could go on and on. The fact of the matter is–God cares very much about what we and what we say.

Jesus said, “let your yea be yea and your nay be nay–for anything more is sin.” In other words, our communication with one another should be concise and specific. We should say what we mean and mean what we say.

How many times have people been hurt when they discover the object of their affection–the one who claimed to love them–doesn’t really love them. In fact, they have demonstrated repeatedly that they don’t love themselves and if people can’t love themselves, they certainly can’t love someone else. But they said, “I love you.” Did they even know what that four letter word means? If they used it to persuade or entice to get someone to do something they normally wouldn’t, they are empty words.

Young girls are enticed into having sex with males (and females) when someone says, “I love you.” The same is true for some males when enticed by other males. ALL SEXUAL ACTIVITY OUTSIDE OF GOD-DEFINED MARRIAGE IS SIN! Just wanted to make sure this point is made before I go any further. And for those who want to debate the point, try debating with someone who doesn’t know God. I know Him and I will not debate what He has said since it is so clearly defined and graphically described.

People have been enticed into committing crimes with those words, “I love you.” There are a number of people sitting in jail cells right now because they did something stupid for someone else who led them to believe, they loved them.

People who really love others would not do anything to cause the object of their affection any grief. They certainly wouldn’t want them spending time in prison or in having an incurable sexually-transmitted disease. That’s not love–that’s self-hatred and self-gratification based on fleshly desires.

People who love others wouldn’t encourage anyone to drink and drive or to drive under the influence of any substance. People who love understand consequences–for every action, there is a consequence, whether it is positive or negative. But people who really love others–know this.

Know that the devil loves to use “empty words” to entice and snare those who are unaware of how he works. He has no problem deliberately, miscuing meanings and concepts of words and he’s doing a bang up job deceiving those who believe that same-sex marriage is anything but sin. If in fact, there is any value to the term, there would be no need to define by using the phrase, “same-sex” because God-defined marriage is intended to produce children and in this setting–no children can be produced (they can be adopted–not produced) by the process God intended to use.

Emptiness–having a void that needs to be filled and unfortunately, many people fill the voids in their lives by listening to the enemy who certainly does not love them and is using them for his purposes–to destroy mankind. Don’t be deceived–fill your time with study in The Word and in communication with the Father–who knows best for all of His Children.

 

(more to come)