Friday, April 18, 2008

MARGIES BIMS

DEFINING MOMENT - GENESIS 50:15-21****

ONE YEAR AGO PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD WERE STUNND BY A SHOOTING RAMPAGE THAT LEFT 32 VICTIMS DEAD ON THE CAMPUS OF VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY. IN THE AFTERMATH, THE MOTHER OF ONE CRITICALLY WOUNDED STUDENT WHO SURVIVED SAID SHE DID NOT WANT THE ORDEAL TO BECOME THE DEFINING MOMENT IN HER SON'S LIFE.

INSTEAD, SHE HOPED IT COULD BE "SOMETHING POSITIVE, SOME GREAT CELEBRATION OF HIS LIFE." WHEN THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENS, IT MAY SEEM IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE THAT ANYTHING CAN OVERCOME THE EMOTIONAL SCARS. YET, THE LIFE OF JOSEPH OFFERS A POWERFUL ILLUSTRATION OF GOD'S TRANFORMING POWER.

THE BROTHERS WHO SOLD HIM INTO SLAVERY WERE SURE HE WOULD TAKE REVENGE OF THEM (GEN: 15-27). BUT JOSEPH TOLD THEM. "YOU MEANT EVIL AGAINST ME; BUT GOD MEANT IT FOR GOOD, IN ORDER TO BRING IT ABOUT AS IT THIS DAY, TO SAVE MANY PEOPLE ALIVE."

WHEN WE PLACE OUR DESIRE FOR REVENGE IN GOD'S HANDS, WE BECOME PARTICIPANTS IN THE REMARKABLE PROCESS DESCRIBED BY PAUL: "DO NOT BE OVERCOME BY EVIL, BUT OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD" (ROM. 12:21).

SOMETIMES LIFE'S CIRCUMSTANCES CAN BE UTTERLY DEPRESSING. JOSEPH AND THE APOSTLE PAUL BOTH EXPERIENCED IMPRISONMENT. YET THEY WERE ABLE TO REFLECT AN ULTIMATELY POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE.

THE DEFINING MOMENTS OF OUR LIVES ARE NOT DETERMINED BY THE EVIL DONE TO US, BUT OUR RESPONSE THROUGH THE GRACE AND POWER OF GOD.

WHEN ROUGH THE PATH FROM DAY TO DAY,
WHEN SORROWS FILL OUR EYES WITH TEARS,
OUR CHOICE TO FIND OUR HOPE IN CHRIST
CAN LIFT OUR SOUL AND CALM OUR FEARS.

LET DANGER DRIVE YOU TO JESUS AND LET'S DEFINE OUR GREATEST DEFINING MOMENT AS GOOD FOR JESUS. GOD BLESS YOU AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

HAVE A HAPPY, BLESSED DAY*************
BIBLICAL INFORMATION MINISTRIES -BIMS

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