With or without you* - U2

Still on Clash of the Titans. One thing which struck me while watching the movie (the new one) was the 'modern' thinking of the humans. Especially the lead character, Perseus.

The gods are reflected as weak, emotional, vengeful, desiring the worship of the people - basically not depicted in very good light. Man instead wants to be independent, free from the gods. Man wants to show that they do not need the gods at all. Even Perseus refused any help from Zeus - and this was so at the cost of the lives of other good men.

Isn't that how man thinks today? Generally, i mean. Most do not care if God exists or not. Most also do not want to outright deny the existence of God - but man believes that they have no need for God in their lives (if he indeed exists), that they can do well without God - or that God has nothing to offer them. After all, they may argue, what difference would God bring into their lives? Would life be any better - or is it the same with or without God?

With God in my life, does it mean i will never have to suffer? Does it mean my families and loved ones will be guaranteed a peaceful and painless existence? Does it mean i will have food on the table and money in my purse all the time? Does it mean i will never suffer rejection or discrimination? I have to admit that all the questions in this paragraph have to be answered in the negative.

But these things are temporal. What is more important than these things that will not last are naturally things which will last - for ever and ever. And one thing that will go on eternally are the souls of man.

And no matter how strong, how clever and how inventive man can be, man can never find a way to be delivered from condemnation and spend eternity in heaven. But God has made a way for us - by Jesus dying on the cross for us, we can have everlasting life if we believe in him. And that my dear frens, is the biggest difference in our lives if we are with or without God.

While where we spend eternity is of great significance, God also will provide for us while we are still on this earth. I cannot put it any better than the hymn writer, Annie Flint in her below:-

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

God hath not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He hath not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain, rocky and steep,
Never a river, turbid and deep.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

Yes, my frens. I can testify to that. And i can testify that it makes a huge difference if we go thru our lives with or without Jesus.

*Their first no. 1 hit in the US and listed as no. 131 in Rolling Stone magazine list in 2004 of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It would be on my list too if i had one!