“A Renewed Spirit”
March 9, 2017“A Renewed Spirit”
Have you ever wondered “Why am I here on this earth”? This question is usually found in a Triad with “Where did I come from” and “Where am I going”? They have been lumped together and classified as the questions of life. How you answer these questions sets the course you navigate your life by. In the last weeks, I’ve been asked to ponder with people “Why am I still here”? The desperation is clear in both the content and intent of the question and presents some unique challenges in answering.
Usually the person asking the question has been alive for several years and is watching as friends and loved ones continue to pass away. For some the proverbial “straw that broke the camels back” is the loss of a spouse. A lady recently posed that question as she discussed the loss she knows as her husband of over 50 years is no longer living. Imagine trying to offer hope and help as she tries to figure out when to pay the electric bill and adjust the thermostat. “Why am I still here?”
Last fall, we unpacked the book of Joel during our morning services. The book of Joel starts out with devastation and despair (Joel 1:13-14), but ends on a much happier note with God’s Blessings clearly evident on all the land (Joel 3:18-21). During a time when the people may have been asking “Why are we still here”, Joel 2:18-20 records that God will be “…zealous for His land, and pity His people” (v. 18). This is great encouragement as we are reminded that during desperate times, God is still there for us. The Hebrew word translated “Pity” has a compassionate tone. God shows compassion on us during difficult times. If you are asking yourself “Why am I still here on this earth”, ask God to refresh your spirit and remind you of His compassion. When you do, you’ll never regret it.
Pastor Dave
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