As I age I grow more jaded when reading about multi-million dollar expenditures
by the Federal Government. The one I read about this morning, however, received
my enthusiastic approval.
About 1,200 acres of mountain land in the region I call home will be purchased,
thanks to a grant received by the U.S. Forest Service. Rocky Fork will, after
this purchase, comprise 10,000 acres of unspoiled forest land. From my few
visits there, I've been mighty impressed. Sights I've seen remind me strongly
of the Great Smoky Mountains. (You can see a couple of my photos from Rocky
Fork at http://joycaster.com/pb/wp_e46e1459/wp_e46e1459.html.)
The price to obtain these 1,200 acres will be $5 million. In my book, that's
expensive. But that's a bargain when you consider that this is undeveloped
land, and will remain that way for future generations to enjoy. If you, like
me, lament the spread of asphalt and concrete, you are glad to see blocks of
natural beauty preserved for future generations.
There are many items we could name that are valuable only if they are unspoiled.
A gallon of milk today is more expensive than ever before. Would you buy that
jug if you spotted something inside? No matter what it might be, we don't want
to see any objects in our milk! We would absolutely refuse that milk if it were
spoiled.
Marriage vows are valuable, a bond that is supposed to last many years. But if
one of the parties spoils the vows, even if for a brief "fling", the value is
shattered. A few couples are able to recover, but most don't even try.
What is our value to God? It depends on whether we are unspoiled or not. James
gave a simple description of a life that will please the Lord: "Pure and
undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and
widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (James
1:27). How difficult is that challenge, though? Have you tried eating
spaghetti while wearing a white outfit? Similarly, temptations to sin abound,
and each of us have been spattered (see Jeremiah 10:23, Romans 3:23).
John also challenged us to remain unspoiled: "My little children, these things I
write to you, so that you may not sin. ..." (1 John 2:1). Realizing, however,
that such an ideal is so difficult, he went on to provide help for those who
fail: "... And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous." No, we are not unspoiled. But yes, there is help available.
What is that help? Not surprisingly, it is something unspoiled: "... you were
not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless
conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18,19).
Christ's blood is valuable ("precious") because it is unspoiled.
What does it say about God that He would be willing to provide such valuable
blood so that we might be cleansed? Without that blood we are spoiled, and our
value vanishes. But by coming to the blood of His Son, our value is restored.
What love has been shown to each of us!
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit
and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you'd like to discuss these
ideas further.
Timothy D. Hall
by the Federal Government. The one I read about this morning, however, received
my enthusiastic approval.
About 1,200 acres of mountain land in the region I call home will be purchased,
thanks to a grant received by the U.S. Forest Service. Rocky Fork will, after
this purchase, comprise 10,000 acres of unspoiled forest land. From my few
visits there, I've been mighty impressed. Sights I've seen remind me strongly
of the Great Smoky Mountains. (You can see a couple of my photos from Rocky
Fork at http://joycaster.com/pb/wp_e46e1459/wp_e46e1459.html.)
The price to obtain these 1,200 acres will be $5 million. In my book, that's
expensive. But that's a bargain when you consider that this is undeveloped
land, and will remain that way for future generations to enjoy. If you, like
me, lament the spread of asphalt and concrete, you are glad to see blocks of
natural beauty preserved for future generations.
There are many items we could name that are valuable only if they are unspoiled.
A gallon of milk today is more expensive than ever before. Would you buy that
jug if you spotted something inside? No matter what it might be, we don't want
to see any objects in our milk! We would absolutely refuse that milk if it were
spoiled.
Marriage vows are valuable, a bond that is supposed to last many years. But if
one of the parties spoils the vows, even if for a brief "fling", the value is
shattered. A few couples are able to recover, but most don't even try.
What is our value to God? It depends on whether we are unspoiled or not. James
gave a simple description of a life that will please the Lord: "Pure and
undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and
widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (James
1:27). How difficult is that challenge, though? Have you tried eating
spaghetti while wearing a white outfit? Similarly, temptations to sin abound,
and each of us have been spattered (see Jeremiah 10:23, Romans 3:23).
John also challenged us to remain unspoiled: "My little children, these things I
write to you, so that you may not sin. ..." (1 John 2:1). Realizing, however,
that such an ideal is so difficult, he went on to provide help for those who
fail: "... And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous." No, we are not unspoiled. But yes, there is help available.
What is that help? Not surprisingly, it is something unspoiled: "... you were
not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless
conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18,19).
Christ's blood is valuable ("precious") because it is unspoiled.
What does it say about God that He would be willing to provide such valuable
blood so that we might be cleansed? Without that blood we are spoiled, and our
value vanishes. But by coming to the blood of His Son, our value is restored.
What love has been shown to each of us!
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit
and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you'd like to discuss these
ideas further.
Timothy D. Hall
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