Today's sermon was really good and it helped me realize that I need to consciously seek a heavenly focus. Andy did a good job of sharing Psalm 120 with us and the fact that it's intended to bring about a momentary disorientation to wake us up to the unpleasant realities of the world around us.

The psalmist opened with a longing for rescue- we need more than just a desire that God will change our circumstances. We need to realize that we're all enslaved by the lie that human beings are inherently good and can "make it" or live a "good life" and fall on our knees before the holy God whom we've offended. This holy God will bring about justice to those who propagate the lie (and we all do, we've all bought into it so we have all ultimately sinned against God). Yet God in His kindness and mercy has delayed the judgment to bring as many as will receive Him unto Himself. Those that will receive Him He rescues now through their repentance and ultimately at the judgment. Finally, the psalmist ends with a hope for peace. Jesus received the punishment due to us all but has granted those who accept His salvation and repent peace with God. The bedrock foundation of our hope for peace is the beautiful reality that Jesus Christ's sacrifice satisfied God as was evidenced by His resurrection and the promises we have in Him are promises of hope and peace.

I think one of the things that I really took away from this is the reminder that this world is not my home. Like the psalmist I'm fully aware of the distress one encounters living in this sinful world. I think even now of the disappointment I may face if I have to leave my job that I'm really starting to enjoy, of some of the children in the school system who come to school without breakfast and their parents don't even seem to care or who have a parent incarcerated-the mess that we humans who've been duped into believing that we could be good and live peaceably on our own have created for ourselves and others.

Andy pointed out that the world WILL disappoint us. The world will end, sin will chafe us and good things that we hope for may never be found in this world. While that is quite a sobering and jarring thought it brings me peace when I think of the fact that this world is not all there is to life. There is more to life than this side of heaven and that through Jesus I can rest assured that these struggles, any unfulfilled hopes and longings are only for a season and have a glorious purpose in highlighting the glorious radiance of what God has done through Jesus and drawing me closer to Himself.

After the service, I had lunch with some friends and it was good to fellowship with them and talk about how we were challenged through the message. I stopped at Coldstone before coming home and taking a nap. Unfortunately, I think I'm on the verge of becoming dangerously obsessed with Cake Batter ice cream. I was so groggy when I woke up that I was considering going back to sleep. Then I realized that we'd be observing the Lord's supper and that tonight's message would be from Philippians 4:6 and I thought, "well I can't miss the teaching of God's good word today if I can help it". As I was driving there I had to mentally stop and thank God for the blessing of being at a congregation where the word and Gospel are faithfully taught and preached and the joy and desire He's given me to receive it and I need to constantly ask Him to help me have that joy and desire and make the time to seek and study on my own.