Devotionals for Life in Negative World | The Ground Is Your Friend
Devotionals for Life in Negative World are brief reflections on a passage of Scripture for the purpose of edifying the afflicted, informing the ignorant, and equipping the warrior against hostile critics of the Christian household, church, or neighborhood.
A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
Ecclesiastes 1:4
Time is ever-present in our lives, until it isn’t. It walks toward and away from us. It comes and goes. It enters our purview when we are born and we become conversant with it until it marches further on into the lives of posterity. It is vain in its travel, the Preacher warns.
Change indicates time for us. As we perceive things changing, time passing strikes us. “Generation” is tied to “dwelling.” For a generation to pass means that time dwelt for a while. A generation wants to dwell. Generations want to continue and continue.
Time leads us to heap up experiences and pile meaning onto whatever we are doing. We want to dwell. We want to last. We want to settle. So when time goes–when we are about to go–we become unsettled. Past moments seem vain. Worthless, perhaps.
We wish we could wrestle time to the ground and break its hip. We want to control its journey and itinerary. We feel betrayed when it dwells in our midst and then walks over and introduces itself to others. Like it was never committed.
But time leaves a stamp. A weight that continues to hold us down. We are never left without any memories–predominantly fond ones. Wrinkles from all the smiles. Friends who were once complete strangers. Children who will walk with time when we are gone.
Our lives are like time. Time walks. It doesn’t run. Or jog. Or crawl. Or skip. Or leap. Or ride a bike. Or drive a car. It walks. Unless impeded by divine orchestration, it takes its time. It sees things to their destination. We have to walk. And we have to learn to walk with the Creator of Time.
Walking is an activity that God designed for human beings. Straight spines and two legs. A salubrious activity for muscles and lungs, confirmed and corroborated by physicians. A blessed activity for social creatures who pine for embodied intimacy. Married couples know.
But walking requires a Ground. A secure, solid surface to plant one’s feet. If there is no ground, there is no walking. If there is no Foundation, there is no time. We all have to walk on it. Only a Creator and a Lord even thinks to walk on water.
The earth is where we are placed. We stand on it. And it will remain even after we are gone, the Preacher asserts. But, in a sense, we never are gone. We stand on what we came from and from where we will arise. We came from the ground; we will rise from the ground.
We speak of our “walk with Christ.” But this is not enough. He is not only by our side, He makes sides by being the ground upon which we walk. He is not only with us, He upholds us. He has His arm around us while He has His hand under our foot.
Is your mother on the verge of passing? Are you afraid of cancer? Is a colleague offloading work to you? Is your manager on your case all the time? Are your sons constantly antagonizing each other? Have you had enough of this American liberal clown show?
The Preacher preaches the gospel to us: No matter what we do in our sin and wickedness, or what we endure in our affliction and suffering, God’s design, His creation, and His purposes will always take its stand. It will endure–even beyond time.
Though we fall and fail in taking dominion, the providence of the Creator will refuse decreation. Though we are sick and sin, the healing of the Great Physician will not let us go uncured. Though our anxiety rattles and we change sides, the Ground will stay buttressing.
You and time will come and go. But trust the Lord. The Lord of Life will never leave you nor forsake you. He will keep you grounded and rooted. Look up and He is there. But also look down and He is there. He is your firm foundation.
Today you may be in the garden. Tomorrow you may be running through the Red Sea. Next week, you may be tempted in the wilderness. In a month, you may be crucified. He has His arm around you. He has His hand under your foot. He will resurrect you.
