"WILDERNESS LIVING"!

1 Peter 4:8-10   (KJV)

"And above all things have fervent (having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit) charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.  Use hospitality one to another without grudging.  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

I know that people don't "read" the Bible like they used to.  And most don't read because they won't be really "changed" by the word, and they don't "SEE" a change in us that they would want!  I would venture to say that even most "church going" people don't grasp the fact that most of our problems are spiritual (Ephesians 6:11-20).  And if the church doesn't grasp it, then the "deaf" and "blind" (Matthew 16:13) sure can't understand it!  

I was reading recently and the estimation was that over $30 TRILLION has been spent on "The War on Poverty"!  I grew up in poverty, but I didn't know it!  My mom and dad divorced when I was four years old and my dad left the country to avoid paying child support.  My mom was a high school drop out with three children to raise.  

We had no ANYTHING!  No home, no car, no money, no extra clothes.  We moved into a house with no running water, no electricity, no sewer, only walls and a roof.  My mom got her GED and went to nursing school.  But, we had LOVE!  We were raised by her alone, with assistance from my grandparents and a whole community!   

"It takes a village to raise a child" should read "It takes the HELP of a village to raise a child".  My mom raised my sisters and I.  Everyone can be used, to better others or drag them down.  I don't know how many mentors I had as a 8-15 year old boy with no father figure in my life.  It would seem as though GOD would let me "leech" onto one person and then I would move onto another.  I praise GOD for each of these men he allowed to be surrogate dads for me. 

If we ALL uses the instructions from the Bible passage above, " Use hospitality (LOVE) one to another without grudging.  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another", our problems would be greatly reduced.  If we would "meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein" (Joshua 1:8)  in respect to GOD's Word, our journey would be a lot smoother.  The children of Israel chose to wander in the wilderness 40 years rather than follow GOD's plan.  

Our nation generally has a heart like the men I "leeched" off of growing up. The USA is the first nation to assist when a disaster occurs.  But, we have forgotten where our battles (Ephesians 6:11-20) are fought and we have busied ourselves beyond our capacity, choosing to live in the wilderness.  Until we return to acknowledging the source of our strength.......we will NOT HAVE PEACE!!

Psalms 29:11    "The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace."