Fulfillment in the WORD of God

Sunday, August 20, 2006 7:40 PM

This morning we visited the First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga. It is very much a historic (161 years old) and formal / fundamentalist church in worship style, with the majority of the church members being older people. I really liked this church. The sermon was excellent. Dr. Michael A. Milton, senior pastor spoke on Psalm 119:1-8. The main point of the message was that only in the WORD of God is fulfillment, purpose, and value. Now, I would be the first one to tell you that, but to know that in your head, in theory, and living it out practically, are two separate things. This guy seemed to be speaking directly to me, as I have been unhappy, depressed, and just despairing in life these past two days. I did nothing yesterday; absolutely nothing. I didn't touch a basketball, I didn't lift, I didn't go for a run - I just felt so lousy. I don't remember the last day I did nothing like that. The only thing I did try to do was hit some golf balls at the driving range at night, but that was ruined by lightening. I felt, and still do off-and-on as if I do not have any purpose in this new life in Georgia; like I am doing nothing with my life. But this sermon snapped me out of this type of thinking.

Psalm 119 starts out saying that the Word of God brings blessing. Reading it and obeying it brings blessing. I am depressed all week, and yet I don't open up the Bible for more than five minutes at a time! The WORD of God gives blessing; the Word of God gives meaning to life. I really should have written this up right after church, because now I am forgetting the progression of his sermon. The main point though was that only through the WORD of God is there blessing and fulflillment in life. The Bible, the Scriptures are the Word of God, but who else is called the Word? Jesus. It left me with the certainty of a promise that if I, by the help of the Holy Spirit, follow God's law - His Word, that then, and only then will I find meaning for my life here. I realized that I had been trying, by myself, to find purpose, and feeling the lack of purpose almost exclusively based on the fact that I don't have people around me. It's all about dependency on and obedience to the Word of God. Reading it. Living it. Every day.

Man, I wish I could have given you the main points of the sermon better. It will be available on their website in the next few days I think, and I will link to it on this page if it does become available.

This pastor, Dr. Milton is a very gifted and sincere preacher. He has a televised program that airs once a week called "Faith For Living". You can download whole broadcasts and watch them here.

Lightening Strike

I was driving down this side-road this afternoon, on my way to Covenant to pick up some chairs and stuff to bring back, because we hosted some college students for dinner. There was a storm that was beginning, and lightening struck every couple seconds. I came up to a point in the road where this huge arm of a tree was cracked and lying out all over the road, leaving barely enough room to get around it. Lightening had struck it. Anyway, nothing profound - just something that happened.