Friday: Further Thought – Preparing for Change
Further Thought:
If we read through the story of ancient Israel in the wilderness, we can see a litany of mistake after mistake in the face of great changes, even despite the amazing revelation of God’s love and power. In fact, before Israel was to, finally, enter the Promised Land—and thus face another great change—Moses said the following to ancient Israel: “Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal Peor;
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
for the LORD your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive today every one of you. Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people’. For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren” (Deut. 4:3-9, NKJV). How crucial that we not forget what the Lord has done for us. And what better way not to forget than to teach it to others and to those who come after us. Notice, too, how central the family was in all this, in that they were to teach these things to their children. And the sin at Peor was something that could be only destructive to family life. “The crime that brought the judgments of God upon Israel was that of licentiousness. The forwardness of women to entrap souls did not end at Baal-peor”. – Ellen G. White, The Adventist Home, p. 326.
Discussion Questions:
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As part of my lecture program for Information Management, I would acquaint my students with the three stages of planning:
• Strategic planning – that’s the big picture stuff
• Tactical planning – that’s the bit where you work out how long it is going to take and who is going to pay for it.
• Operational planning – where you get down to the nuts and bolts of getting the job done.
It is very easy to get yourself bogged down in documenting all this preparation and planning. Clearly, it is important. If you are going to spend $100,000 on a software project, then you need to have some pretty concrete plans and you need to document it in such a way that other people can understand it. Ultimately though the job has to be done and the project put into practice.
I have seen projects fail for lack of preparation, and I have seen other projects get so tied up with preparation they do not get off the ground. The goal should always be for a successful practical outcome.
This week we have looked at preparing for the big changes in life. No lesson is complete if we just talk and write interesting comments to one another about this preparation. In the words of a well-known Australian politician, we need to stop our talking, get off our deck-chairs, pat the pillars of the porch goodbye, and get out there amongst it! We have been challenged to prepare this week and while some of it is specific and may not apply directly to us, there are principles we need to put into practice. Christianity is not a theoretical study; it should be a practical internship in real life.
Maurice--always look especially for the bottom line of your comments: Godly wisdom IMO! Thank you for taking the time to help me apply the lesson in my life!
Thank you for your kind comments Lorayne. I am not sure about "Godly wisdom" when I think about all the mistakes I have made along the way, but I do like to challenge my Christian friends to think about and practice their Christianity rather than just talk about it. May you have a blessed and peaceful Sabbath.
All week I have been perplexed by the photo with Monday's lesson. Obviously anyone waiting for the Lord's appearing would be watching it with rapt attention, not laughing and pointing at someone who was apparently lost & terrified of his coming. The heartless person would not even be included with the saved. Why it was painted, or why it was included puzzles me.
Leilani, I think you mean the image with Sunday's lesson.
If you'll just click on the image, I trust that your perplexity will be dispelled. The image is created by Lars Justinen, our main lesson illustator, and he explains that the image is meant to portray "a contrast in attitudes- a man runs from the coming of the Lord in abject fear, while another man awaits with joy and thanksgiving."
Leilani, my interpretation was that the smiling sole is in rapturous excitement over the coming of the Lord and is reaching out to a friend or family member who is turning away.